Smart News | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/smart-news/RSS feed for Smart NewsenThu, 07 May 2026 19:13:07 +0000Before ‘The Kiss,’ Gustav Klimt Got His First Big Art Assignment at This Austrian Theater. Now Visitors Can See His Ceiling Paintings Up Close for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-kiss-gustav-klimt-got-his-first-big-art-assignment-at-this-austrian-theater-now-visitors-can-see-his-ceiling-paintings-up-close-for-the-first-time-180988698/As a young man, the artist who later became famous for working gold leaf into portraits earned a Golden Cross of Merit from an emperor for his contributions to Vienna’s BurgtheaterThu, 07 May 2026 19:13:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-kiss-gustav-klimt-got-his-first-big-art-assignment-at-this-austrian-theater-now-visitors-can-see-his-ceiling-paintings-up-close-for-the-first-time-180988698/FDA-Approved At-Home Brain Stimulation Device Aims to Treat Depression by Changing Patients’ Brain Excitabilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fda-approved-at-home-brain-stimulation-device-aims-to-treat-depression-by-changing-patients-brain-excitability-180988654/The treatment consists of a Bluetooth headset that patients can connect to an app on their smartphones. It could mark a revolution in mental health medicineThu, 07 May 2026 16:39:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fda-approved-at-home-brain-stimulation-device-aims-to-treat-depression-by-changing-patients-brain-excitability-180988654/Chonkers the Massive Sea Lion Drew Crowds to San Francisco's Famed Pier 39. Then, a New Chunky Showstopper Stole His Identityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chonkers-the-massive-sea-lion-drew-crowds-to-san-franciscos-famed-pier-39-then-a-new-chunky-showstopper-stole-his-identity-180988691/The Steller sea lion was an unusual visitor to the pier, which usually hosts smaller California sea lions. However, he may have moved on days ago, during which a humongous member of the typical species tricked onlookersThu, 07 May 2026 16:19:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chonkers-the-massive-sea-lion-drew-crowds-to-san-franciscos-famed-pier-39-then-a-new-chunky-showstopper-stole-his-identity-180988691/Urban Birds Seem to Be More Fearful of Women Than Men—and Scientists Don't Know Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/urban-birds-seem-to-be-more-fearful-of-women-than-men-and-scientists-dont-know-why-180988688/The study examined 37 bird species in cities across five European countries. The animals allowed men to get about three feet closer than women, on average, before flying awayThu, 07 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/urban-birds-seem-to-be-more-fearful-of-women-than-men-and-scientists-dont-know-why-180988688/Before He Was a Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin Founded the Lending Library. Now His Belongings Are on Display There Before Heading to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/In 1731, book lover Franklin created the Library Company of Philadelphia, where this week visitors can see a collection of his papers worth an estimated $3 million to $4.5 millionThu, 07 May 2026 13:43:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/Here's What Underwater Robots Are Finding at France's Deepest Shipwreck, a 16th-Century Merchant Vessel Resting at the Bottom of the Mediterraneanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/Known as the "Camarat 4," the ship was loaded with cannons, cauldrons and hundreds of ceramics—which are still visible on the seafloor. Researchers are surveying the site and carefully recovering a small selection of artifactsThu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/After World War II, This German Artist Turned the Art World Upside Down—Literally, by Inverting His Paintingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-world-war-ii-this-german-artist-turned-the-art-world-upside-down-literally-by-inverting-his-paintings-180988689/Georg Baselitz, the renowned painter who played with perspective and flipped canvases on their head, died recently at age 88Wed, 06 May 2026 19:42:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-world-war-ii-this-german-artist-turned-the-art-world-upside-down-literally-by-inverting-his-paintings-180988689/Could Australia Be the First Country to Eliminate Cervical Cancer? It's on Track, but HPV Vaccination and Screening Rates Are Fallinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-australia-be-the-first-country-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-its-on-track-but-hpv-vaccination-and-screening-rates-are-falling-180988681/The country implemented a national vaccination program to prevent the disease in 2007. New data show that in 2021, no women under age 25 were diagnosed with cervical cancer, marking a major milestoneWed, 06 May 2026 15:57:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-australia-be-the-first-country-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-its-on-track-but-hpv-vaccination-and-screening-rates-are-falling-180988681/'Lord of the Flies' Comes to Television for the First Time in a New Miniseries. In the 1950s, the Now-Famous Novel Almost Never Got Publishedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-miniseries-brings-lord-of-the-flies-to-television-for-the-first-time-in-the-1950s-the-now-famous-novel-almost-never-got-published-180988684/Publishers rejected the original manuscript for "Lord of the Flies" many times, yet the story still sparks a buzz today. Author William Golding later won the Nobel Prize in LiteratureWed, 06 May 2026 14:07:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-miniseries-brings-lord-of-the-flies-to-television-for-the-first-time-in-the-1950s-the-now-famous-novel-almost-never-got-published-180988684/Timmy the Whale Was Released Into the North Sea After Being Stranded Off the German Coast for Weeks. Was That the Right Call?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/timmy-the-whale-was-released-into-the-sea-after-being-stranded-off-the-german-coast-for-weeks-was-that-the-right-call-180988679/The humpback whale first entered shallow water at the end of March, but its health deteriorated over the past few weeks. Experts have criticized efforts to rescue the animal, which may have done more harm than goodWed, 06 May 2026 13:13:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/timmy-the-whale-was-released-into-the-sea-after-being-stranded-off-the-german-coast-for-weeks-was-that-the-right-call-180988679/A Deadly Outbreak of Hantavirus Has Stranded a Cruise Ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Here's What to Know About the Rare Contagionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-deadly-outbreak-of-hantavirus-has-stranded-a-cruise-ship-in-the-atlantic-ocean-heres-what-to-know-about-the-rare-contagion-180988680/Three people associated with the vessel have died, and health officials have identified a total of two confirmed cases and five suspected cases of the infection. The virus usually spreads via contaminated rodent droppingsTue, 05 May 2026 21:08:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-deadly-outbreak-of-hantavirus-has-stranded-a-cruise-ship-in-the-atlantic-ocean-heres-what-to-know-about-the-rare-contagion-180988680/Did Facial Recognition Find a Lost Portrait of Anne Boleyn? Scholars Debate Whether A.I. Solved or Merely Muddled an Art History Mysteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-facial-recognition-find-a-lost-portrait-of-anne-boleyn-scholars-debate-whether-ai-solved-or-merely-muddled-an-art-history-mystery-180988677/Accused of treason, the second wife of Henry VIII lost her head. Now, some researchers argue that she also lost her face among dozens of potentially mislabeled portraits in a royal art collectionTue, 05 May 2026 20:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-facial-recognition-find-a-lost-portrait-of-anne-boleyn-scholars-debate-whether-ai-solved-or-merely-muddled-an-art-history-mystery-180988677/Cancer Is Somehow Rare in the Heart. Turns Out, the Organ's Rhythmic Beat Might Keep the Disease at Bay, a Mouse Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-is-somehow-rare-in-the-heart-turns-out-the-organs-rhythmic-beat-might-keep-the-disease-at-bay-a-mouse-study-finds-180988666/Less than 1 percent of cancers start in the heart, and disease that begins elsewhere seldom spreads to the blood-pumping organ. New research suggests mechanical force might have a protective roleTue, 05 May 2026 18:31:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-is-somehow-rare-in-the-heart-turns-out-the-organs-rhythmic-beat-might-keep-the-disease-at-bay-a-mouse-study-finds-180988666/In the Ancient World, This Pigment Was Worth More Than Gold. Archaeologists Discovered It Buried With Babies in Roman Coffinshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-ancient-world-this-pigment-was-worth-more-than-gold-archaeologists-discovered-it-buried-with-babies-in-roman-coffins-180988678/A funerary custom in Roman Yorkshire of pouring liquid gypsum over bodies before burial preserved traces of Tyrian purpleTue, 05 May 2026 18:20:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-ancient-world-this-pigment-was-worth-more-than-gold-archaeologists-discovered-it-buried-with-babies-in-roman-coffins-180988678/You've Been Told to 'Feed a Cold.' Turns Out, Eating May Truly Boost Your Immune System Cells, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/youve-been-told-to-feed-a-cold-turns-out-eating-may-truly-boost-your-immune-system-cells-according-to-a-new-study-180988673/T cells, which target infection and disease, can become more effective after a meal. The finding might help improve cancer-fighting therapies and optimize our response to vaccinesTue, 05 May 2026 15:56:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/youve-been-told-to-feed-a-cold-turns-out-eating-may-truly-boost-your-immune-system-cells-according-to-a-new-study-180988673/Could Pluto Once Again Be Considered a Planet? New Remarks From NASA's Administrator Highlight an Enduring Debate Among Scientistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/Two decades ago, the International Astronomical Union—which defines and names celestial bodies—redefined the criteria for being a planet, putting Pluto into the new category of dwarf planetTue, 05 May 2026 15:56:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-pluto-once-again-be-considered-a-planet-new-remarks-from-nasas-administrator-highlight-an-enduring-debate-among-scientists-180988671/Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Introduced New Mannequins With Diverse Body Types Inspired by Real Peoplehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ahead-of-the-2026-met-gala-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-introduced-new-mannequins-with-diverse-body-types-inspired-by-real-people-180988670/The new "Costume Art" exhibition pairs artworks with garments, some of them displayed on custom mannequins constructed through 3D printingMon, 04 May 2026 22:16:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ahead-of-the-2026-met-gala-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-introduced-new-mannequins-with-diverse-body-types-inspired-by-real-people-180988670/The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week, but a Bright Moon Might Spoil the Showhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-but-a-bright-moon-might-spoil-the-show-180988669/This annual event, which peaks on the night of May 5 into the next morning, comes from the trail of debris left by Halley's comet. It's best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, but skywatchers in the north can catch a glimpseMon, 04 May 2026 20:48:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-but-a-bright-moon-might-spoil-the-show-180988669/The Creator of 'Star Wars' Loves Art That Tells a Story. Peek at the Collection of George Lucas’ New Museum Before It Opens This Fallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creator-of-star-wars-loves-art-that-tells-a-story-peek-at-george-lucas-collection-before-his-new-museum-opens-this-fall-in-los-angeles-180988668/Adventure, comics, childhood, love and everyday life are among the dozens of themes that will guide the curation of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los AngelesMon, 04 May 2026 20:11:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creator-of-star-wars-loves-art-that-tells-a-story-peek-at-george-lucas-collection-before-his-new-museum-opens-this-fall-in-los-angeles-180988668/Astronomers Discover 27 Potential Planets Each Orbiting Two Stars, Just Like the Fictional Tatooine in 'Star Wars'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-27-potential-planets-each-orbiting-two-stars-just-like-the-fictional-tatooine-in-star-wars-180988667/The findings could more than double our current database of worlds that loop around binary star systems. But researchers need to analyze more data before they can officially celebrate a new trove of far, far away exoplanetsMon, 04 May 2026 19:24:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-27-potential-planets-each-orbiting-two-stars-just-like-the-fictional-tatooine-in-star-wars-180988667/This Souvenir Bowl May Have Commemorated an Ancient Roman Soldier's Service at Hadrian's Wall. It Was Discovered on a Spanish Farm 1,900 Years Laterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-souvenir-bowl-may-have-commemorated-an-ancient-roman-soldiers-service-at-hadrians-wall-it-was-discovered-on-a-spanish-farm-1900-years-later-180988665/The artifact is decorated with an illustration of the defensive fortification in northern England, but it was unearthed some 1,200 miles away. A new study suggests the design reflects a soldier’s achievements at the siteMon, 04 May 2026 18:23:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-souvenir-bowl-may-have-commemorated-an-ancient-roman-soldiers-service-at-hadrians-wall-it-was-discovered-on-a-spanish-farm-1900-years-later-180988665/Why Do Cows Burp Up So Much Planet-Warming Methane? A Newly Discovered Structure in Their Gut Microbes Could Be a Culprithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-do-cows-burp-up-so-much-planet-warming-methane-a-newly-discovered-structure-in-their-gut-microbes-could-be-a-culprit-180988664/The "hydrogenobody" is an organelle inside certain microorganisms that live in a special stomach chamber in cattle, sheep and goats, according to a new studyMon, 04 May 2026 16:02:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-do-cows-burp-up-so-much-planet-warming-methane-a-newly-discovered-structure-in-their-gut-microbes-could-be-a-culprit-180988664/This Island in Scotland Is Actually a Man-Made Mini Landmass Resting on a Wooden Platform, New Discovery Showshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-island-in-scotland-is-actually-a-man-made-mini-landmass-resting-on-a-wooden-platform-new-discovery-shows-180988674/Scientists made significant advances in underwater archaeology techniques and photogrammetry while investigating the crannog siteMon, 04 May 2026 15:16:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-island-in-scotland-is-actually-a-man-made-mini-landmass-resting-on-a-wooden-platform-new-discovery-shows-180988674/A.I. Outperformed Doctors at Diagnosing Real-World E.R. Patients in a New Study. That Doesn't Mean Computers Will Replace Clinicianshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-outperformed-doctors-at-diagnosing-real-world-er-patients-in-a-new-study-that-doesnt-mean-computers-will-replace-clinicians-180988660/One of OpenAI's large language models did better than physicians in several experiments, hinting that A.I.-assisted emergency medical care could be around the cornerMon, 04 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-outperformed-doctors-at-diagnosing-real-world-er-patients-in-a-new-study-that-doesnt-mean-computers-will-replace-clinicians-180988660/See the Largest Viking Age Hoard Ever Found in Norway. At Nearly 3,000 Coins and Counting, the Cache Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Findhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-largest-viking-age-hoard-ever-found-in-norway-at-nearly-3000-coins-and-counting-the-cache-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-find-180988657/Buried in the mid-11th century, the stash includes silver pieces minted under rulers such as Cnut the Great, Aethelred the Unready and Harald HardradaMon, 04 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-largest-viking-age-hoard-ever-found-in-norway-at-nearly-3000-coins-and-counting-the-cache-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-find-180988657/Attributed to Banksy, a New Statue of a Suited Man, Blinded by a Flag and Walking Off a Ledge, Appeared in Central Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/attributed-to-banksy-a-new-statue-of-a-suited-man-blinded-by-a-flag-and-walking-off-a-ledge-appeared-in-central-london-180988662/The artwork was installed under the cloak of night this week, less than two months after a journalism investigation into Banksy’s true identity was publishedFri, 01 May 2026 21:51:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/attributed-to-banksy-a-new-statue-of-a-suited-man-blinded-by-a-flag-and-walking-off-a-ledge-appeared-in-central-london-180988662/The Real Winnie-the-Pooh Lives at the New York Public Library. When Queen Camilla Visited the Bear, She Reunited Him With a Dear Friendhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-real-winnie-the-pooh-lives-at-the-new-york-public-library-when-queen-camilla-visited-the-bear-she-reunited-him-with-a-dear-friend-180988661/On a state visit to the United States this week, the queen of the United Kingdom became the first British royal to visit the library as she fulfilled a mission to complete the set of toys that Christopher Robin once ownedFri, 01 May 2026 20:19:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-real-winnie-the-pooh-lives-at-the-new-york-public-library-when-queen-camilla-visited-the-bear-she-reunited-him-with-a-dear-friend-180988661/Six Decades Ago, a Boy Stole Medieval Tiles From an English Monastery. He Just Returned the Illicit Souvenirshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/six-decades-ago-a-boy-stole-medieval-tiles-from-an-english-monastery-he-just-returned-the-illicit-souvenirs-180988663/A ghoulish face and a graceful dragon decorate the broken clay tiles from the late 13th century or early 14th century. They were found tucked in an old toffee tinFri, 01 May 2026 18:39:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/six-decades-ago-a-boy-stole-medieval-tiles-from-an-english-monastery-he-just-returned-the-illicit-souvenirs-180988663/Hummus Made From Moon-Grown Chickpeas Might Be on the Menu for Future Lunar Residentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hummus-made-from-moon-grown-chickpeas-might-be-on-the-menu-for-future-lunar-residents-180988320/Researchers successfully grew and harvested chickpeas in simulated moon dirt—with a little help from worm poop and a beneficial fungus. However, they're still testing whether the legumes are safe to eatFri, 01 May 2026 17:23:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hummus-made-from-moon-grown-chickpeas-might-be-on-the-menu-for-future-lunar-residents-180988320/This Greek Volcano Seemed Quiet for 100,000 Years. Then It Erupted Again. Should Scientists Take a Second Look at 'Extinct' Volcanoes?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-greek-volcano-seemed-quiet-for-100000-years-then-it-erupted-again-scientists-take-a-second-look-at-extinct-volcanoes-180988651/By reconstructing a 700,000-year history of Methana volcano, geologists found a prehistoric phase when it appeared inactive on the surface, despite magma building up below groundFri, 01 May 2026 16:50:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-greek-volcano-seemed-quiet-for-100000-years-then-it-erupted-again-scientists-take-a-second-look-at-extinct-volcanoes-180988651/Dead Bodies Filled a Mass Grave When the First Plague Pandemic Struck This Early Medieval City. New Research Explores the Identity of the Victimshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dead-bodies-filled-a-mass-grave-when-the-first-pandemic-struck-this-early-medieval-city-new-research-explores-the-identity-of-the-victims-180988652/Researchers analyzed isotopes and DNA in the teeth of remains found in a mass grave from the Plague of Justinian, which swept through the Byzantine EmpireFri, 01 May 2026 15:29:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dead-bodies-filled-a-mass-grave-when-the-first-pandemic-struck-this-early-medieval-city-new-research-explores-the-identity-of-the-victims-180988652/This Is the Largest, Most Detailed 3D Map of the Universe. It'll Help Astronomers Investigate a Cosmic Mystery: Dark Energyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-is-the-largest-most-detailed-3d-map-of-the-universe-itll-help-astronomers-investigate-a-cosmic-mystery-dark-energy-180988643/The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument spent five years observing the sky from Arizona. Now, researchers have a trove of data to study how the universe has evolved over billions of yearsFri, 01 May 2026 15:21:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-is-the-largest-most-detailed-3d-map-of-the-universe-itll-help-astronomers-investigate-a-cosmic-mystery-dark-energy-180988643/How Do You Lift a 30,000-Pound Mast From a Warship Built a Record-Breaking 261 Years Ago? With a Really, Really Big Cranehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-lift-a-30000-pound-mast-from-a-warship-built-a-record-breaking-261-years-ago-with-a-really-really-big-crane-180988658/HMS "Victory" served in the American Revolution, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. It's the world’s oldest warship still in commission—but it's in desperate need of repairsFri, 01 May 2026 15:00:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-lift-a-30000-pound-mast-from-a-warship-built-a-record-breaking-261-years-ago-with-a-really-really-big-crane-180988658/Alexander the Great’s (Marble) Head Turned Up in New York. U.S. Officials Say It Was Stolen—and Just Sent It Back to Italyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-the-greats-marble-head-turned-up-in-new-york-us-officials-say-it-was-stolen-and-just-sent-it-back-to-italy-180988650/As part of a longstanding effort to help Italy track down its missing treasures, the U.S. returned hundreds of ancient archaeological finds this weekThu, 30 Apr 2026 20:57:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-the-greats-marble-head-turned-up-in-new-york-us-officials-say-it-was-stolen-and-just-sent-it-back-to-italy-180988650/A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/Researchers believe the ax dates to between 1400 B.C.E. and 1275 B.C.E. and is a relic of the Bronze Age, when humans started to work with metalThu, 30 Apr 2026 18:45:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-and-his-dog-accidentally-discovered-a-3400-year-old-ax-head-while-out-for-a-walk-in-one-of-englands-ancient-forests-180988649/Australia Has a Surprisingly Successful Truffle Industry. This New Study Could Explain Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australia-has-a-surprisingly-successful-truffle-industry-this-new-study-could-explain-why-180988653/Researchers examined hundreds of soil samples to uncover why the expensive fungi are thriving in the countryThu, 30 Apr 2026 17:43:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australia-has-a-surprisingly-successful-truffle-industry-this-new-study-could-explain-why-180988653/Researchers Discovered a Lost Copy of the Oldest English Poem, Composed by an Illiterate Cowherd More Than 1,300 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discovered-a-lost-copy-of-the-oldest-english-poem-composed-by-an-illiterate-cowherd-more-than-1300-years-ago-180988644/This version of "Caedmon’s Hymn" shows how Old English evolved. It also features early use of a punctuation mark that readers of English take for granted today—the period—but not in the expected wayThu, 30 Apr 2026 15:39:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discovered-a-lost-copy-of-the-oldest-english-poem-composed-by-an-illiterate-cowherd-more-than-1300-years-ago-180988644/This Man Fled Pompeii as Mount Vesuvius Erupted. Archaeologists Found Him 2,000 Years Later, Holding a Bowl to Protect His Head and a Lamp to Light His Wayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-fled-pompeii-as-mount-vesuvius-erupted-archaeologists-found-him-2000-years-later-holding-a-bowl-to-protect-his-head-and-a-lamp-to-light-his-way-180988647/Recent excavations revealed two skeletons just outside the ancient city's walls. Researchers also created an A.I.-generated reconstruction of one of the victim's harrowing final momentsThu, 30 Apr 2026 15:10:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-fled-pompeii-as-mount-vesuvius-erupted-archaeologists-found-him-2000-years-later-holding-a-bowl-to-protect-his-head-and-a-lamp-to-light-his-way-180988647/Two Athletes Smashed a Marathon Milestone, Running 26.2 Miles in Under Two Hours. Here's the Science Behind Their Achievementshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-athletes-smashed-a-marathon-milestone-running-26-2-miles-in-under-two-hours-heres-the-science-behind-their-achievements-180988646/An intense training regimen, good weather conditions, physiology and lightweight shoes probably played a role in their astounding performances during the London Marathon on SundayThu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-athletes-smashed-a-marathon-milestone-running-26-2-miles-in-under-two-hours-heres-the-science-behind-their-achievements-180988646/A Metal Detectorist Stumbled Upon a Silver Coin. It Turned Out to Be Part of a Stash Buried During the Viking Invasion of Britainhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-stumbled-upon-a-silver-coin-it-turned-out-to-be-part-of-a-stash-buried-during-the-viking-invasion-of-britain-180988645/Archaeologists say that the 63 coins, most of which bear the name of King Burgred of Mercia, might have been hidden in the ninth century to keep them safe at a time of unrestThu, 30 Apr 2026 12:42:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-stumbled-upon-a-silver-coin-it-turned-out-to-be-part-of-a-stash-buried-during-the-viking-invasion-of-britain-180988645/A Father and Daughter Forged More Than 200 Artworks by Warhol, Banksy, Picasso and Others—and Sold Them for $2 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-father-and-daughter-forged-more-than-200-artworks-by-warhol-banksy-picasso-and-others-and-old-them-for-2-million-180988641/The New Jersey residents, who face up to 20 years in prison, commissioned an artist in Poland to create the fakes. They got special penalties for forging paintings by Native American artistsWed, 29 Apr 2026 21:26:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-father-and-daughter-forged-more-than-200-artworks-by-warhol-banksy-picasso-and-others-and-old-them-for-2-million-180988641/Scientists Create the First Detailed 'Smell Map' of Odor Sensors in the Mouse Nose—and Sniff Out Some Surprising Discoverieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-create-the-first-detailed-smell-map-of-odor-sensors-in-the-mouse-nose-and-sniff-out-some-surprises-180988639/In two new studies, researchers used genetic techniques to upend a longstanding assumption that nerve cells with scent detectors were randomly arranged. They don’t know whether the same spatial organization is found in human nosesWed, 29 Apr 2026 20:59:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-create-the-first-detailed-smell-map-of-odor-sensors-in-the-mouse-nose-and-sniff-out-some-surprises-180988639/These Are the Top Ten 'Endangered' Buildings and Bridges in England and Wales—and They Tell Us a Lot About Life in the Victorian Erahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-buildings-and-bridges-are-the-most-endangered-in-england-and-wales-and-they-tell-us-a-lot-about-life-in-the-victorian-era-180988642/Structures remaining from the height of the British Empire reveal changing economic, medical and education trends from the 1800s and early 1900s. But their legacy is at risk as they fall into disrepairWed, 29 Apr 2026 19:41:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-buildings-and-bridges-are-the-most-endangered-in-england-and-wales-and-they-tell-us-a-lot-about-life-in-the-victorian-era-180988642/The FDA Approves the First-Ever Gene Therapy for Deafness, Which Aims to Restore Hearing in Kids With a Rare Inherited Conditionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-fda-approves-the-first-ever-gene-therapy-for-deafness-which-aims-to-restore-hearing-in-kids-with-a-rare-inherited-condition-180988635/The agency's decision is based on results from a clinical trial in which the treatment improved hearing in 80 percent of the pediatric participants. However, Deaf community advocates worry about the push to cure hearing lossWed, 29 Apr 2026 17:44:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-fda-approves-the-first-ever-gene-therapy-for-deafness-which-aims-to-restore-hearing-in-kids-with-a-rare-inherited-condition-180988635/A Snorkeling Biologist Snapped the First-Ever Photo of Newly Hatched California Giant Salamanders in the Wild. Here’s Why That's a Big Dealhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-snorkeling-biologist-snapped-the-first-ever-photos-of-newly-hatched-california-giant-salamanders-in-the-wild-heres-why-thats-a-big-deal-180988619/The discovery provides another key data point about a little-known species for which every observation mattersWed, 29 Apr 2026 17:16:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-snorkeling-biologist-snapped-the-first-ever-photos-of-newly-hatched-california-giant-salamanders-in-the-wild-heres-why-thats-a-big-deal-180988619/This Giant 400-Year-Old Astrolabe—Made by Mughal Master Craftsmen and Owned by Royalty—Fetched Millions at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-400-year-old-astrolabe-made-for-royalty-by-mughal-master-craftsmen-and-owned-by-royalty-fetched-millions-at-auction-180988638/Ancient Greek astronomers and early Islamic scientists used astrolabes as mechanical computers to calculate time, determine height and navigate by the starsWed, 29 Apr 2026 14:07:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-400-year-old-astrolabe-made-for-royalty-by-mughal-master-craftsmen-and-owned-by-royalty-fetched-millions-at-auction-180988638/Watch the First Known Video of a Sumatran Orangutan Crossing a Human-Made Wildlife Bridge in the Treetopshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-the-first-known-video-of-a-sumatran-orangutan-crossing-a-human-made-wildlife-bridge-in-the-treetops-180988637/A public road in Indonesia separates forests housing about 350 wild orangutans, among other animals. So, conservationists built several canopy bridges to prevent habitat fragmentationWed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-the-first-known-video-of-a-sumatran-orangutan-crossing-a-human-made-wildlife-bridge-in-the-treetops-180988637/Known for Her Amusing Surreal Sculptures, This French Artist's Sinuous Set of Mirrors Just Shattered Auction Recordshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/Claude Lalanne created the reflective ensemble for designer Yves Saint Laurent. Experts say it's second in importance only to the famous mirrors at the Palace of VersaillesTue, 28 Apr 2026 21:16:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/Warm Waters Are Usually Trapped Deep Within the Southern Ocean. Now, They're Encroaching on Antarctica, Threatening Its Icehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/warm-waters-are-usually-trapped-deep-within-the-southern-ocean-now-theyre-encroaching-on-antarctica-threatening-its-ice-180988636/Two new studies that relied on data from a fleet of diving robots show how climate change is altering ocean movements in ways that jeopardize the stability of the polar ice capTue, 28 Apr 2026 19:48:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/warm-waters-are-usually-trapped-deep-within-the-southern-ocean-now-theyre-encroaching-on-antarctica-threatening-its-ice-180988636/Stained by Nicotine and Cocoa Powder, These Edvard Munch Paintings Hung in a Chocolate Factory Cafeteria for a Century. Now, They're Going on Public Display for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/edvard-munchs-lesser-known-chocolate-factory-friezes-head-to-exhibition-in-norway-180988634/Three decades after "The Scream," the Norwegian artist painted scenes of daily life for the Freia chocolate factory. The artworks will be on display in his namesake museum in Oslo this springTue, 28 Apr 2026 18:23:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/edvard-munchs-lesser-known-chocolate-factory-friezes-head-to-exhibition-in-norway-180988634/Alexander Calder Thought 'It Would Be Fun' to Set Abstract Art in Motion. His Mesmerizing Mobiles Transformed the Definition of Sculpturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-calder-thought-it-would-be-fun-to-set-abstract-art-in-motion-his-mesmerizing-mobiles-transformed-the-definition-of-sculpture-180988631/A new exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris spotlights 300 of the sculptor's groundbreaking kinetic artworks, large-scale public sculptures, paintings, drawings and wire portraitsTue, 28 Apr 2026 16:24:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-calder-thought-it-would-be-fun-to-set-abstract-art-in-motion-his-mesmerizing-mobiles-transformed-the-definition-of-sculpture-180988631/Worried Your House Is Haunted? The Spooky Sensation Might Arise From a Surprisingly Simple Sourcehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worried-your-house-is-haunted-the-spooky-sensation-might-arise-from-a-surprisingly-simple-source-180988622/Infrasound—noise below the range of typical human hearing—from power, heating and mechanical systems within buildings can make people feel irritated and induce a stress response, according to a new studyTue, 28 Apr 2026 15:44:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worried-your-house-is-haunted-the-spooky-sensation-might-arise-from-a-surprisingly-simple-source-180988622/Scientists Found This Mysterious Golden Orb on the Seafloor Nearly Three Years Ago. Now, They Finally Know What It Ishttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-this-mysterious-golden-orb-on-the-seafloor-nearly-three-years-ago-now-they-finally-know-what-it-is-180988624/After a long, winding road of tests, researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and other institutions determined that the strange blob once attached a large sea anemone to a rockTue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-this-mysterious-golden-orb-on-the-seafloor-nearly-three-years-ago-now-they-finally-know-what-it-is-180988624/A 13-Year-Old Boy Found This Bronze Coin in a Field. It Turned Out to Be the First Ancient Greek Artifact Discovered in Berlinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/Minted in Troy in the third century B.C.E., the object might have been buried as a gift to the dead. Archaeologists don't know exactly how it ended up in modern-day GermanyTue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/A New Big Database of DNA From Indigenous Americans Shakes Up Scientists' Theories About Human Settlement of South Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-big-database-of-dna-from-indigenous-americans-shakes-up-scientific-theories-about-human-settlement-of-south-america-180988628/Genomic data provides evidence for a previously unknown wave of migration, with Indigenous groups living in central and southern Mexico spreading into South America and the Caribbean starting around 1,300 years agoTue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-big-database-of-dna-from-indigenous-americans-shakes-up-scientific-theories-about-human-settlement-of-south-america-180988628/Fires in Berlin Destroyed Hundreds of Paintings During World War II. Now, a Museum Will Publish Photo Archives of the Lost Artworks Onlinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-in-berlin-destroyed-hundreds-of-paintings-during-world-war-ii-now-a-museum-will-publish-photo-archives-of-the-lost-artworks-online-180988621/A proactive effort to document the collection of the Gemäldegalerie will pay off a century later as negatives of lost paintings by Rubens and Caravaggio are digitized and published onlineMon, 27 Apr 2026 20:25:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-in-berlin-destroyed-hundreds-of-paintings-during-world-war-ii-now-a-museum-will-publish-photo-archives-of-the-lost-artworks-online-180988621/Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Came From an Extremely Cold, Lonely Region of the Milky Way Galaxy, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/Astronomers analyzed the vapors coming off the comet when it neared the sun and found it had a lot of "heavy" water. That hints it grew up in a frigid planetary system, possibly before its home star formedMon, 27 Apr 2026 19:26:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-came-from-an-extremely-cold-lonely-region-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-new-research-suggests-180988625/A Tourist Damaged Florence’s 'Fountain of Neptune' While Attempting to Grope Its Marble Statue on a Darehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tourist-damaged-florences-fountain-of-neptune-while-attempting-to-grope-its-marble-statue-on-a-dare-180988623/Fixing the fountain’s horse sculptures and frieze will cost nearly $6,000. The alleged offender is the latest tourist to harm artwork in response to peer pressure or in pursuit of social media cloutMon, 27 Apr 2026 17:52:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tourist-damaged-florences-fountain-of-neptune-while-attempting-to-grope-its-marble-statue-on-a-dare-180988623/This Bone-Crunching Octopus Was Nearly the Size of a Semitruck and May Have Feasted on Giant Reptiles 100 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-bone-crunching-octopus-was-nearly-the-size-of-a-semitruck-and-may-have-feasted-on-giant-reptiles-100-million-years-ago-180988616/The massive invertebrates may have been top predators, according to an analysis of their fossilized jaws. The work suggests that ancient oceans weren't completely ruled by spine-bearing creatures, as previously thoughtMon, 27 Apr 2026 16:04:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-bone-crunching-octopus-was-nearly-the-size-of-a-semitruck-and-may-have-feasted-on-giant-reptiles-100-million-years-ago-180988616/See the 1-in-50-Million Split-Color Lobster Caught Off the Coast of Massachusetts. It's Carrying Two Sets of Genetic Informationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-1-in-50-million-split-color-lobster-caught-off-the-coast-of-massachusetts-its-carrying-two-sets-of-genetic-information-180988615/The unusual-looking crustacean is two-toned, with a line dividing its body into an orange side and a brown side. This can happen when two fertilized, unlaid lobster eggs touch—causing one to absorb the otherMon, 27 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-1-in-50-million-split-color-lobster-caught-off-the-coast-of-massachusetts-its-carrying-two-sets-of-genetic-information-180988615/Did Neanderthals Have Language? New Research Suggests They Had the Genetic Hardware for It, Like Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-have-language-new-research-suggests-they-had-the-genetic-hardware-for-it-like-humans-180988620/Specific genomic regions that seem to play a role in human language development evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, before humans and Neanderthals diverged from a common ancestor, a new study findsMon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-have-language-new-research-suggests-they-had-the-genetic-hardware-for-it-like-humans-180988620/State-Licensed Medical Marijuana Has Been Reclassified as a Less-Dangerous Drug. Here's What That Meanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/state-licensed-medical-marijuana-has-been-reclassified-as-a-less-dangerous-drug-heres-what-that-means-180988617/The move should make it easier for researchers to study the substance and give tax breaks to licensed medical marijuana dealersFri, 24 Apr 2026 20:32:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/state-licensed-medical-marijuana-has-been-reclassified-as-a-less-dangerous-drug-heres-what-that-means-180988617/The World's First Museum of A.I. Art Will Open in Los Angeles as the Art World Ponders Questions of Ethics and Sustainabilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-museum-of-ai-art-will-open-in-los-angeles-as-the-art-world-ponders-questions-of-ethics-and-sustainability-180988613/Dataland's immersive exhibitions, generated with artificial intelligence, will debut to the public on June 20, with an inaugural show about rainforests trained on millions of images of natureFri, 24 Apr 2026 20:28:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-museum-of-ai-art-will-open-in-los-angeles-as-the-art-world-ponders-questions-of-ethics-and-sustainability-180988613/To Keep the Voyager 1 Spacecraft on Its Interstellar Journey, NASA Turned Off One of Its Few Remaining Instrumentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-keep-the-voyager-1-spacecraft-on-its-interstellar-journey-nasa-turned-off-one-of-its-few-remaining-instruments-180988608/The probe launched almost 50 years ago and is the farthest human-made object from Earth. Shutting down one of its scientific devices will help it conserve energy and continue traveling toward the edge of the solar systemFri, 24 Apr 2026 18:59:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-keep-the-voyager-1-spacecraft-on-its-interstellar-journey-nasa-turned-off-one-of-its-few-remaining-instruments-180988608/Why Do We Love Movies? This New 'Smart' Movie Theater Tracks Viewers' Brain Waves and Heart Rates to Find Outhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-smart-movie-theatre-is-tracking-audiences-brain-waves-and-heart-rates-to-create-more-engaging-films-180988614/Researchers at the University of Bristol are studying the appeal of the cinema-watching experience by turning one theater into a biometric laboratoryFri, 24 Apr 2026 18:20:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-smart-movie-theatre-is-tracking-audiences-brain-waves-and-heart-rates-to-create-more-engaging-films-180988614/Beavers Are Ecosystem Engineers—and They Might Be Helpful Allies in the Fight Against Human-Caused Climate Changehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/beavers-are-ecosystem-engineers-and-they-might-be-helpful-allies-in-the-fight-against-human-caused-climate-change-180988609/New research suggests that wetlands created by the industrious rodents are carbon sinks, meaning they store a lot of heat-trapping carbon dioxide—the human-produced gas largely responsible for today's global warmingFri, 24 Apr 2026 14:36:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/beavers-are-ecosystem-engineers-and-they-might-be-helpful-allies-in-the-fight-against-human-caused-climate-change-180988609/What Killed the Neanderthals? New Research Suggests a Lack of Genetic Diversity May Be Partially to Blamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/When the climate cooled, the population of Neanderthals shrank. Most that lived between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago were descended from the same lineage and had very similar DNAFri, 24 Apr 2026 14:04:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/In a Graveyard of Shipwrecks Between Europe and Africa, Archaeologists Discovered Vessels Doomed Over Thousands of Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-graveyard-of-shipwrecks-between-europe-and-africa-archaeologists-discovered-vessels-doomed-over-thousands-of-years-180988605/The "harbor" of the Strait of Gibraltar is the final resting place for shipwrecks from ancient Rome, the medieval era and World War II, according to a new archaeological surveyFri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-graveyard-of-shipwrecks-between-europe-and-africa-archaeologists-discovered-vessels-doomed-over-thousands-of-years-180988605/In Japan, a New Steward for 1,200 Years of Cherry Blossom Data Has Been Found, Sustaining a Climate Change Research Projecthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-japan-a-new-steward-for-1200-years-of-cherry-blossom-data-has-been-found-sustaining-a-climate-change-research-project-180988607/Climate scientist Yasuyuki Aono, who died last summer, learned to read ancient Japanese script to compile records on peak bloom dating back to the ninth century C.E.Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:56:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-japan-a-new-steward-for-1200-years-of-cherry-blossom-data-has-been-found-sustaining-a-climate-change-research-project-180988607/A Mars Rover Found Building Blocks of Life Never Seen on the Red Planet Before, Boosting the Case for Ancient Habitabilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mars-rover-found-building-blocks-of-life-never-seen-on-the-red-planet-before-boosting-the-case-for-ancient-habitability-180988610/The organic molecules discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover could have been formed by life, but they could have also come from geologic processes or meteoritesThu, 23 Apr 2026 20:10:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mars-rover-found-building-blocks-of-life-never-seen-on-the-red-planet-before-boosting-the-case-for-ancient-habitability-180988610/Gibraltar's Famous Monkeys Are Eating Dirt, Likely to Alleviate Stomach Aches From Munching on Tourists' Junk Foodhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gibraltars-famous-monkeys-are-eating-dirt-likely-to-alleviate-stomach-aches-from-munching-on-tourists-junk-food-180988606/The British territory's Barbary macaques are the only wild monkeys in Europe. But many are consuming human snacks high in calories, sugar, salt and dairy, and low in fiberThu, 23 Apr 2026 19:51:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gibraltars-famous-monkeys-are-eating-dirt-likely-to-alleviate-stomach-aches-from-munching-on-tourists-junk-food-180988606/A Rare 'Cloud Jaguar' Was Spotted in Honduran Mountains for the First Time in a Decade, Representing a Win for Conservationistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-cloud-jaguar-was-spotted-in-honduran-mountains-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-representing-a-win-for-conservationists-180988595/The big cats are rarely seen at high elevations, so the sighting suggests that efforts to protect a wildlife corridor in the region are workingThu, 23 Apr 2026 15:37:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-cloud-jaguar-was-spotted-in-honduran-mountains-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-representing-a-win-for-conservationists-180988595/Archaeologists Unearth a Papyrus Fragment From the 'Iliad' Tucked Inside the Wrappings of a 1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/The excerpt from Homer's epic poem features his catalog of ships, a famous passage listing the Greek forces that sailed to Troy. It may be the first Greek literary text found in the context of mummificationThu, 23 Apr 2026 15:07:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/Cocaine Pollution Seems to Make Salmon Swim Farther Than Usual. Scientists Don't Know the Long-Term Consequenceshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cocaine-pollution-seems-to-make-salmon-swim-faster-and-farther-than-usual-scientists-dont-know-the-long-term-consequences-180988600/The illegal drug’s main byproduct, benzoylecgonine, caused more robust effects than cocaine itself. Wastewater treatment plants often don't fully process such metabolites, so they are frequently found in bodies of water at higher concentrations than their parent drugsThu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cocaine-pollution-seems-to-make-salmon-swim-faster-and-farther-than-usual-scientists-dont-know-the-long-term-consequences-180988600/A Couple From Mexico Became Soft Taco Pioneers in Los Angeles 50 Years Ago. Now, Their Restaurant Is a Landmarkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-couple-from-mexico-became-soft-taco-pioneers-in-los-angeles-50-years-ago-now-their-restaurant-is-a-landmark-180988602/Raúl and Lupe Martinez opened King Taco and served up soft corn tortillas like they remembered from home. The rest is—now officially—history, thanks to a vote from the Los Angeles City CouncilThu, 23 Apr 2026 13:26:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-couple-from-mexico-became-soft-taco-pioneers-in-los-angeles-50-years-ago-now-their-restaurant-is-a-landmark-180988602/The National Gallery of Art Embraces New Role as Lending Library, Thanks to a Big Gift That Sends Artwork to Other Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-embraces-new-role-as-lending-library-thanks-to-a-big-gift-that-sends-artwork-to-other-museums-180988597/A $116 million donation from the family foundation of longtime trustee Mitchell P. Rales will help share the museum's collection in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:03:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-embraces-new-role-as-lending-library-thanks-to-a-big-gift-that-sends-artwork-to-other-museums-180988597/A Humanoid Robot Just Beat the Human World Record for the Fastest Half-Marathon During a Race in Chinahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humanoid-robot-just-beat-the-human-world-record-for-the-fastest-half-marathon-during-a-race-in-china-180988599/A self-navigating robot called Lightning, developed by Chinese electronics company Honor, won the 13.1-mile race. Its results and others mark significant advancements since last year's inaugural event, where only 6 of the 21 androids reached the finish lineWed, 22 Apr 2026 19:27:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humanoid-robot-just-beat-the-human-world-record-for-the-fastest-half-marathon-during-a-race-in-china-180988599/This Rare-Coin Scavenger Hunt in San Francisco Offers Participants the Chance to Relive the California Gold Rushhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-coin-scavenger-hunt-in-san-francisco-offers-participants-the-chance-to-relive-the-california-gold-rush-180988598/A local coin dealer will hide historic currency worth a total of $50,000 in its third annual citywide challenge on April 25Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:42:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-coin-scavenger-hunt-in-san-francisco-offers-participants-the-chance-to-relive-the-california-gold-rush-180988598/Humans Are Still Evolving. Natural Selection Has Favored Genes Linked to Red Hair and Less Male-Pattern Baldness, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-are-still-evolving-natural-selection-has-favored-genes-linked-to-red-hair-and-less-male-pattern-baldness-a-study-suggests-180988563/A massive study of ancient and modern DNA from thousands of West Eurasian people has identified nearly 500 genetic variants that evolution has selected for or against in recent historyWed, 22 Apr 2026 17:34:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-are-still-evolving-natural-selection-has-favored-genes-linked-to-red-hair-and-less-male-pattern-baldness-a-study-suggests-180988563/Bob Dylan's Original Typewritten Draft Lyrics for 'I'm Not There' Have Been Rediscovered After More Than Half a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/For decades, eager fans could only hear the obscure song on bootleg vinyl recordings. The draft lyrics, which were found inside a first-edition copy of Allen Ginsberg poetry, just sold at auction for $6,800Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/We Use Many of the Same Brain Cells to See and to Imagine Objects, a Study Suggests. The Findings Provide a New Window Into Memoryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/we-use-many-of-the-same-brain-cells-to-see-and-to-imagine-objects-a-study-suggests-the-findings-provide-a-new-window-into-memory-180988580/While past research has hinted at an overlap in relevant brain regions, the new work drills down to the cellular level. The discovery could help improve treatments for memory disorders, such as dementia, and certain psychiatric conditions, like schizophreniaWed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/we-use-many-of-the-same-brain-cells-to-see-and-to-imagine-objects-a-study-suggests-the-findings-provide-a-new-window-into-memory-180988580/This Dazzling Tiffany Stained-Glass Window Adorned a Church for More Than a Century. Now It Needs a New Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-dazzling-tiffany-stained-glass-window-adorned-a-church-for-more-than-a-century-now-it-needs-a-new-home-180988590/The Second Congregational Church of Winsted in Connecticut will auction off the colorful artwork featuring a stunning waterfall and sunsetWed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-dazzling-tiffany-stained-glass-window-adorned-a-church-for-more-than-a-century-now-it-needs-a-new-home-180988590/This New York City Cemetery Restored a Victorian Greenhouse to Welcome Visitors to Its Historic Groundshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/green-wood-cemetery-restored-a-victorian-greenhouse-to-welcome-visitors-to-its-historic-grounds-180988588/Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn grew out of the 19th-century "rural cemetery" movement that transformed graveyards from cramped and dark to sprawling and beautifulTue, 21 Apr 2026 20:35:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/green-wood-cemetery-restored-a-victorian-greenhouse-to-welcome-visitors-to-its-historic-grounds-180988588/Astronauts' Memories of Earth's Gravity May Influence How They Move and Hold Objects, Even After Months in Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronauts-memories-of-earths-gravity-may-influence-how-they-move-and-hold-objects-even-after-months-in-space-180988586/Examining the fine motor skills of space travelers can help improve safety for future missions, scientists sayTue, 21 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronauts-memories-of-earths-gravity-may-influence-how-they-move-and-hold-objects-even-after-months-in-space-180988586/After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunchhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/Eight letters that John Keats penned to his fiancée before his untimely death are “the literary find of a lifetime”Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:53:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-john-keats-love-story-was-cut-short-his-letters-mysteriously-disappeared-until-rare-book-dealers-acted-on-a-hunch-180988585/A Disabled Parrot in New Zealand Became Alpha Male Thanks to His Innovative Fighting Stylehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/disabled-parrot-in-new-zealand-became-alpha-male-thanks-to-his-innovative-fighting-style-180988587/A kea parrot's half-beak became an advantage instead of a disadvantage, researchers suggest in a new studyTue, 21 Apr 2026 18:46:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/disabled-parrot-in-new-zealand-became-alpha-male-thanks-to-his-innovative-fighting-style-180988587/Naked Mole Rats Usually Duke It Out to Choose Their Next Queen. But These Unusual Rodents May Be Capable of More Peaceful Transitions of Powerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/naked-mole-rats-usually-duke-it-out-to-decide-who-becomes-a-colonys-next-queen-but-these-unusual-creatures-are-also-capable-of-peaceful-transitions-new-research-suggests-180988589/In a laboratory experiment centered around a colony known as the Amigos, researchers observed a subordinate female take over reproduction without incidentTue, 21 Apr 2026 18:37:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/naked-mole-rats-usually-duke-it-out-to-decide-who-becomes-a-colonys-next-queen-but-these-unusual-creatures-are-also-capable-of-peaceful-transitions-new-research-suggests-180988589/New Archaeological Discoveries Reveal How San Antonio's Earliest Settlers Irrigated Crops and Accessed Drinking Waterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-archaeological-discoveries-reveal-how-san-antonio-colonists-irrigated-crops-and-accessed-drinking-water-180988571/While preparing for school renovations, researchers in Texas found remnants of the historic San Pedro acequia, a centuries-old technology that provided water to the burgeoning villageTue, 21 Apr 2026 17:26:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-archaeological-discoveries-reveal-how-san-antonio-colonists-irrigated-crops-and-accessed-drinking-water-180988571/Renaissance Art Linked Beauty With Virtue and Ugliness With Vice. See How Painters From Leonardo da Vinci to Botticelli Viewed Physical Attractivenesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renaissance-art-linked-beauty-with-virtue-and-ugliness-with-vice-see-how-painters-from-leonardo-da-vinci-to-botticelli-viewed-physical-attractiveness-180988584/An exhibition in Brussels spotlights 90-plus artworks featuring golden-haired muses, greedy old men and those deemed unattractive simply because they were differentTue, 21 Apr 2026 15:55:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renaissance-art-linked-beauty-with-virtue-and-ugliness-with-vice-see-how-painters-from-leonardo-da-vinci-to-botticelli-viewed-physical-attractiveness-180988584/Neanderthal Kids Grew Up So Fast—at Least Compared With Their Human Peers—Thanks to Genetic Adaptations to Their Environmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthal-kids-grew-up-so-fast-at-least-compared-to-their-human-peers-thanks-to-genetic-adaptations-to-their-environment-180988583/Scientists think Neanderthal children may have had faster growth rates because larger bodies tend to retain heat more effectively than smaller onesTue, 21 Apr 2026 15:14:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthal-kids-grew-up-so-fast-at-least-compared-to-their-human-peers-thanks-to-genetic-adaptations-to-their-environment-180988583/This Ancient God’s Name Was 'Mud.' Archaeologists Discovered a Water-Filled Temple Possibly Tied to Him in Egypthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-gods-name-was-mud-archaeologists-discovered-a-water-filled-temple-possibly-tied-to-him-in-egypt-180988581/A structure blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles was discovered in the ancient city of Pelusium at the edge of the Nile DeltaTue, 21 Apr 2026 01:59:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-gods-name-was-mud-archaeologists-discovered-a-water-filled-temple-possibly-tied-to-him-in-egypt-180988581/Anglerfish Are Known for Their Built-in Fishing Rods. New Research Sheds Light on How These Lures Evolved in the Strange Creatureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anglerfish-are-known-for-their-built-in-fishing-rods-new-research-sheds-light-on-how-these-lures-evolved-in-the-strange-creatures-180988577/A new study suggests the odd appendages first appeared in the fish's ancestors around 72 million years ago. Today, females might use them not only to attract prey but also to communicate with potential matesMon, 20 Apr 2026 21:41:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anglerfish-are-known-for-their-built-in-fishing-rods-new-research-sheds-light-on-how-these-lures-evolved-in-the-strange-creatures-180988577/Look Up This Week to See the Peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Humans Have Documented This Dazzling Annual Display for 2,700 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-up-this-week-to-see-the-peak-of-the-lyrid-meteor-shower-humans-have-documented-this-dazzling-display-for-2700-years-180988578/During the wee hours of April 22, moonset times will give stargazers in much of the United States a solid stretch of dark sky before sunriseMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:48:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-up-this-week-to-see-the-peak-of-the-lyrid-meteor-shower-humans-have-documented-this-dazzling-display-for-2700-years-180988578/Can A.I. Determine Which Artist Made a Painting? This New Brushstroke Detection Tool May Have Solved a Mystery About El Grecohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-ai-determine-which-artist-made-a-painting-this-new-brushstroke-detection-tool-may-have-solved-a-mystery-about-el-greco-180988576/While debating the authorship of "The Baptism of Christ," one of El Greco’s final works, art experts long relied on their own analysis of brushstrokes. A new study tapped artificial intelligence to peer at the paint at a microscopic levelMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:33:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-ai-determine-which-artist-made-a-painting-this-new-brushstroke-detection-tool-may-have-solved-a-mystery-about-el-greco-180988576/Scientists Found 5.6 Million Burrowing Bees Beneath a Cemetery in New York. The Group Is One of the Largest on Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-5-6-million-burrowing-bees-beneath-a-cemetery-in-new-york-the-group-is-one-of-the-largest-on-record-180988573/Researchers in Ithaca estimated the number of ground-nesting bees emerging from a local cemetery in spring 2023, revealing just how abundant some understudied pollinators areMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:12:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-5-6-million-burrowing-bees-beneath-a-cemetery-in-new-york-the-group-is-one-of-the-largest-on-record-180988573/The Titanic Carried 3,500 Life Jackets, but Almost All of Them Have Been Lost to History. This One Just Sold at Auction for Nearly $1 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanic-carried-3500-life-jackets-but-almost-all-of-them-have-been-lost-to-history-this-one-just-sold-at-auction-for-nearly-1-million-180988574/The artifact belonged to first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, a secretary heading to Chicago with her employer. It's the only life vest connected to a survivor of the 1912 shipwreck to ever appear at auctionMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:11:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanic-carried-3500-life-jackets-but-almost-all-of-them-have-been-lost-to-history-this-one-just-sold-at-auction-for-nearly-1-million-180988574/Pirate Shipwreck Off the Coast of Cape Cod Sets the Historical Record Straight on West African Goldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pirate-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-cape-cod-sets-the-historical-record-straight-on-west-african-gold-180988572/Europeans spread rumors about degraded gold from their Akan trade partners. A new analysis of artifacts from the "Whydah Gally" shipwreck tells a different storyMon, 20 Apr 2026 17:03:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pirate-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-cape-cod-sets-the-historical-record-straight-on-west-african-gold-180988572/These Big-Brained Ancestors May Have Loved Crystals Just as Much as Modern Humans Do, According to New Researchhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newly-discovered-stone-tools-made-from-geodes-and-fossils-hint-at-homo-erectus-connection-with-the-cosmos-180988565/Archaeologists in Israel unearthed prehistoric hand axes that Homo erectus crafted from stones including fossils and crystals, perhaps a sign that they wanted to connect with the cosmosMon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newly-discovered-stone-tools-made-from-geodes-and-fossils-hint-at-homo-erectus-connection-with-the-cosmos-180988565/This Medieval Castle Sits Atop a Prehistoric Time Capsule. New Excavations Could Reveal the History of Neanderthals in Britainhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-castle-sits-atop-a-prehistoric-time-capsule-new-excavations-could-reveal-the-history-of-neanderthals-in-britain-180988562/In a cave tucked beneath the Welsh landmark, archaeologists have found evidence of human and animal visits over the past 120,000 years. Now, they're starting a five-year excavation projectMon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-castle-sits-atop-a-prehistoric-time-capsule-new-excavations-could-reveal-the-history-of-neanderthals-in-britain-180988562/The Spice Girls Changed Pop Forever in 1996. Thirty Years Later, Their Iconic Outfits Are on Display in a New Exhibition in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/The Barbican Music Library is celebrating British pop culture with a show that features Mel B's leopard catsuit, Emma Bunton's blue dress and Geri Halliwell's Union Jack bootsMon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/In Times of Trouble, the Maya Rejected Divine Kingship. This Newly Discovered Public Building Reveals How the Transition to Shared Power Unfoldedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-times-trouble-maya-rejected-divine-kingship-newly-discovered-public-building-reveals-how-the-transition-to-shared-power-unfolded-180988567/Archaeologists in northern Guatemala unearthed a colonnaded open hall that may have served as a council house, where local leaders and everyday people met to discuss political issuesMon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-times-trouble-maya-rejected-divine-kingship-newly-discovered-public-building-reveals-how-the-transition-to-shared-power-unfolded-180988567/Scientists Still Don't Know How or When the Grand Canyon Formed. New Research May Hint at Its Ancient Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-still-dont-know-how-or-when-the-grand-canyon-formed-new-research-may-hint-at-its-ancient-origins-180988570/Researchers say the ancestral Colorado River formed an ancient lake in northern Arizona roughly 6.6 million years ago, which spilled out westward onto the landscape that would eventually become the Grand CanyonFri, 17 Apr 2026 19:11:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-still-dont-know-how-or-when-the-grand-canyon-formed-new-research-may-hint-at-its-ancient-origins-180988570/Shakespeare's House in London Was Lost to History. A Scholar Discovered a Map in the Archives That Revealed Its Exact Locationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shakespeares-house-in-london-was-lost-to-history-a-scholar-discovered-a-map-in-the-archives-that-revealed-its-exact-location-180988566/The Bard purchased the property three years before his death in 1616. Had he hoped to spend more time in the city where he wrote his best-known plays?Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:46:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shakespeares-house-in-london-was-lost-to-history-a-scholar-discovered-a-map-in-the-archives-that-revealed-its-exact-location-180988566/The First LSD Trip Was a Literal Bicycle Ride 83 Years Ago. Fans of the Psychedelic Celebrate the Occasion Every April 19https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/In 1943, a chemist in Switzerland synthesized a drug that alters consciousness. His discovery changed the study of medicine, psychiatry and biology—and became a central component of the counterculture movementFri, 17 Apr 2026 17:56:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/Hundreds of Spanish Settlers Died at the 'Port of Famine.' This Newly Discovered Silver Coin Reveals Where the Doomed Colony Was Founded 400 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-spanish-settlers-died-at-the-port-of-famine-this-newly-discovered-silver-coin-reveals-where-the-doomed-colony-was-founded-400-years-ago-180988519/Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe was established on the north shore of Chile's Strait of Magellan in 1584. When an English navigator came across it several years later, few survivors remainedFri, 17 Apr 2026 17:42:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-spanish-settlers-died-at-the-port-of-famine-this-newly-discovered-silver-coin-reveals-where-the-doomed-colony-was-founded-400-years-ago-180988519/After Rounding the Moon, Artemis 2 Astronauts Reflect on the Magnitude of the Experience: 'We as Countries and as Humans Did This'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-rounding-the-moon-artemis-2-astronauts-reflect-on-the-enormity-of-the-experience-we-as-countries-and-as-humans-did-this-180988568/In their first press conference since returning from space, the four-person crew described feeling small but united with people on Earth and said the mission was an achievement by all of humanityFri, 17 Apr 2026 15:01:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-rounding-the-moon-artemis-2-astronauts-reflect-on-the-enormity-of-the-experience-we-as-countries-and-as-humans-did-this-180988568/A Bountiful Berry Harvest Put These Chunky, Endangered Parrots in the Mood. Now, Scientists Are Celebrating a Breeding Bonanzahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bountiful-berry-harvest-put-these-chunky-endangered-parrots-in-the-mood-now-scientists-are-celebrating-a-breeding-bonanza-180988510/New Zealand's kakapo have laid 256 eggs, and around 100 of them have hatched, providing a bright spot in a decades-long conservation effort. The official chick count won't be confirmed until the youngest birds are about 5 months oldFri, 17 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bountiful-berry-harvest-put-these-chunky-endangered-parrots-in-the-mood-now-scientists-are-celebrating-a-breeding-bonanza-180988510/Why Is a Cold War Bunker Buried Underneath This Medieval English Castle? In Case of Nuclear 'Armageddon'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-a-cold-war-bunker-buried-underneath-this-medieval-english-castle-in-case-of-nuclear-armageddon-180988561/Archaeologists uncovered a relic of the 20th-century conflict beneath Scarborough Castle, decades after the bunker was sealed and its exact location was forgottenThu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-a-cold-war-bunker-buried-underneath-this-medieval-english-castle-in-case-of-nuclear-armageddon-180988561/These Tiny Ants Crawled All Over Larger Ants and Licked Them Clean. Scientists Aren't Sure How This Behavior Benefits Any of Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-ants-crawled-all-over-larger-ants-and-licked-them-clean-scientists-arent-sure-how-this-behavior-benefits-any-of-them-180988555/After witnessing the interactions in an Arizona desert, a Smithsonian researcher suggests that the little ants picked off tasty treats and that the big ants got thoroughly groomed in hard-to-reach placesThu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-ants-crawled-all-over-larger-ants-and-licked-them-clean-scientists-arent-sure-how-this-behavior-benefits-any-of-them-180988555/Large Invasive Rodents Are Wreaking Havoc in California. New Research Suggests Someone Deliberately Introduced Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-invasive-rodents-are-wreaking-havoc-in-california-new-research-suggests-someone-deliberately-introduced-them-180988554/Genetic testing revealed that nutria living in California since 2017 are most closely related to a population in central Oregon—too far for the creatures to have traveled on their ownThu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-invasive-rodents-are-wreaking-havoc-in-california-new-research-suggests-someone-deliberately-introduced-them-180988554/In the 1990s, a Dog Taught Kids About Shakespeare and Homer. A New Documentary Tells the Tale of 'Wishbone'—From His Backflips to His Historical Hatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-1990s-a-dog-taught-kids-about-shakespeare-and-homer-a-new-documentary-tells-the-tale-of-wishbone-from-his-backflips-to-his-historical-hats-180988552/The film reunites the human cast and crew who saw the potential of a Jack Russell terrier to bring classic literature to life on PBSThu, 16 Apr 2026 15:31:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-1990s-a-dog-taught-kids-about-shakespeare-and-homer-a-new-documentary-tells-the-tale-of-wishbone-from-his-backflips-to-his-historical-hats-180988552/Medieval Writings and Tree Rings Helped Researchers Track a Solar Storm From 800 Years Ago and Reconstruct Past Solar Cycleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/Diary entries by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika, along with other historical sources from across Asia and Europe, played pivotal roles in a new studyThu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/A Sudden Squall Doomed This Stone-Hauling Vessel in Lake Erie. More Than 150 Years Later, Divers Just Found the Shipwreckhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/The "Clough," a 125-foot-long bark, sank in September 1868 near Cleveland, with just one crew member surviving to explain what had happenedThu, 16 Apr 2026 13:35:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/A Glowing Sphere Towering Over Utah Sent an Urgent Artistic Message: The Great Salt Lake Is Drying Uphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-glowing-sphere-towering-over-utah-sent-an-urgent-artistic-message-the-great-salt-lake-is-drying-up-180988553/Olafur Eliasson's latest installation married visuals with a soundscape to draw the public's attention to the plight of the important ecosystemThu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-glowing-sphere-towering-over-utah-sent-an-urgent-artistic-message-the-great-salt-lake-is-drying-up-180988553/Why Does This Newly Discovered 2,000-Year-Old Stone Slab Depict a Roman Emperor as an Egyptian Pharaoh?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-this-newly-discovered-2000-year-old-stone-slab-depict-a-roman-emperor-as-an-egyptian-pharaoh-180988549/The sandstone monument shows Tiberius standing next to a family of local gods. Archaeologists say the scene illustrates the ruler's role as a leader who upheld cosmic order in Egyptian societyWed, 15 Apr 2026 17:56:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-this-newly-discovered-2000-year-old-stone-slab-depict-a-roman-emperor-as-an-egyptian-pharaoh-180988549/How Do Different Psychedelics Affect the Brain? Scientists Analyzed More Than 500 Neural Scans to Find Outhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-different-psychedelics-affect-the-brain-scientists-analyzed-more-than-500-neural-scans-to-find-out-180988534/A new study suggests that four psychoactive compounds work in surprisingly similar ways, and that they break down the separation between how we think internally and how we perceive the outside worldWed, 15 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-different-psychedelics-affect-the-brain-scientists-analyzed-more-than-500-neural-scans-to-find-out-180988534/Does Your Cat Always Leave Behind a Half-Full Bowl of Food? New Research Points to Why Our Furry Friends Can Be Such Picky Eatershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/does-your-cat-always-leave-behind-a-half-full-bowl-of-food-new-research-points-to-why-our-furry-friends-can-be-such-picky-eaters-180988540/A new study suggests that domestic cats get bored of monotonous meals. Switching up their food—or even just nearby scents—could help them join the clean plate clubWed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/does-your-cat-always-leave-behind-a-half-full-bowl-of-food-new-research-points-to-why-our-furry-friends-can-be-such-picky-eaters-180988540/Turtles May Have Been Tasty Snacks for Neanderthals 125,000 Years Ago. But Their Shells Were Probably the Real Prizehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/New research based on fragments discovered at the Neumark-Nord site in Germany suggests Neanderthals may have transformed the shells into toolsWed, 15 Apr 2026 14:46:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/Scientists Just Made the Most Complete Map of the Clitoris's Sensory Nerve Network. Here's What They Foundhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-made-the-most-complete-map-of-the-clitoris-sensory-nerve-network-heres-what-found-180988463/Cultural taboos around female sexuality have hindered research on the organ. But a new study provides pivotal insights that can inform important surgeries and health careWed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-made-the-most-complete-map-of-the-clitoris-sensory-nerve-network-heres-what-found-180988463/A Rare 1897 Film Discovered in an Old Trunk in Michigan Features the First On-Screen Appearance of a Robothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-1897-film-discovered-in-an-old-trunk-in-michigan-features-the-first-on-screen-appearance-of-robot-180988547/Filmmaker Georges Méliès employed some of his signature special effects techniques to create comedy in "Gugusse and the Automaton"Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:16:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-1897-film-discovered-in-an-old-trunk-in-michigan-features-the-first-on-screen-appearance-of-robot-180988547/Colombia Plans to Euthanize Dozens of 'Cocaine Hippos,' Descendants of Animals Brought by Notorious Drug Trafficker Pablo Escobarhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colombia-plans-to-euthanize-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-descendants-of-animals-brought-by-notorious-drug-trafficker-pablo-escobar-180988548/If nothing is done to control the invasive creatures, officials estimate the population could grow to 1,000 animals by 2035. So, they aim to cull about 80 individuals later this yearTue, 14 Apr 2026 21:15:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colombia-plans-to-euthanize-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-descendants-of-animals-brought-by-notorious-drug-trafficker-pablo-escobar-180988548/Born to a Family of Sharecroppers, This Topiary Artist Overcame Discrimination to Become the 'Picasso of Plants'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/born-to-a-family-of-sharecroppers-this-topiary-artist-overcame-discrimination-to-become-the-picasso-of-plants-180988544/Self-taught artist Pearl Fryar, who died this month at age 86, got his start when he tried to win an award from his local garden club. He ended up becoming a celebrity in the horticultural worldTue, 14 Apr 2026 19:44:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/born-to-a-family-of-sharecroppers-this-topiary-artist-overcame-discrimination-to-become-the-picasso-of-plants-180988544/Long Misidentified, This Seal Tooth Pendant Was Carefully Crafted by a Prehistoric Human Roughly 15,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-misidentified-this-seal-tooth-pendant-was-carefully-crafted-by-a-prehistoric-human-roughly-15000-years-ago-180988543/Discovered in 1867, the artifact raises new theories about the Magdalenian people who inhabited southwest England during the Late Upper Paleolithic periodTue, 14 Apr 2026 18:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-misidentified-this-seal-tooth-pendant-was-carefully-crafted-by-a-prehistoric-human-roughly-15000-years-ago-180988543/One of the American West's Most Iconic Birds Is Attempting to Mate Near a Dangerous Airport. Could Robo-Birds Help Save Them?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-american-wests-most-iconic-birds-is-attempting-to-mate-near-a-dangerous-airport-could-robo-birds-help-save-them-180988542/Conservationists are deploying dancing animatronic birds to lure male greater sage grouse away from the Jackson Hole Airport, where dozens of the creatures have been struck and killed by planesTue, 14 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-american-wests-most-iconic-birds-is-attempting-to-mate-near-a-dangerous-airport-could-robo-birds-help-save-them-180988542/From Sparkling Tiaras to Pastel Hats, New Buckingham Palace Exhibition Celebrates the Fashion of Elizabeth IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sparkling-tiaras-pastel-hats-new-buckingham-palace-exhibition-celebrates-fashion-elizabeth-ii-180988526/In addition to being a world leader, the British queen was a fashion icon. A new show at Elizabeth’s former residence highlights some of the most memorable looks and the history behind themTue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sparkling-tiaras-pastel-hats-new-buckingham-palace-exhibition-celebrates-fashion-elizabeth-ii-180988526/The National Gallery of Art Holds an Artistic Mirror Up to the United States for Its Big 250th Birthdayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-holds-an-artistic-mirror-up-to-the-united-states-for-its-big-250th-birthday-180988538/In celebration of the semiquincentennial this year, "Dear America" looks at the country's land, communities and revolutionary history through artworks dating back to the late 18th centuryTue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-holds-an-artistic-mirror-up-to-the-united-states-for-its-big-250th-birthday-180988538/On Major Music Release Days, Stay Extra Vigilant While Driving. Car Crash Deaths Seem to Spike When Top Artists Drop New Albumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-major-music-release-days-stay-extra-vigilant-while-driving-car-crash-deaths-seem-to-spike-when-top-artists-drop-new-albums-180988541/A new study found a correlation between big album release days and traffic fatalities. While the research can't prove the new music caused the accidents, the work hints at a major distractor while drivingTue, 14 Apr 2026 14:37:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-major-music-release-days-stay-extra-vigilant-while-driving-car-crash-deaths-seem-to-spike-when-top-artists-drop-new-albums-180988541/War Can Feel Surreal. See How This American Photojournalist Captured the Horrors—and Dark Humor—of World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/war-can-feel-surreal-see-how-american-photojournalist-lee-miller-captured-horrors-dark-humor-world-war-ii-180988523/A rediscovered scrapbook showcases never-before-seen images by Lee Miller, a war correspondent for British "Vogue" who followed American troops through EuropeTue, 14 Apr 2026 12:04:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/war-can-feel-surreal-see-how-american-photojournalist-lee-miller-captured-horrors-dark-humor-world-war-ii-180988523/This Millennium-Old Sacrificial Altar in Mexico Belonged to a Civilization That Thrived Before the Aztecshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-millennium-old-sacrificial-altar-in-mexico-belonged-to-a-civilization-that-thrived-before-the-aztecs-180988539/Surrounded by human skulls, the artifact was uncovered at the site of the Toltec people's capital in central Mexico ahead of construction of a new railway projectTue, 14 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-millennium-old-sacrificial-altar-in-mexico-belonged-to-a-civilization-that-thrived-before-the-aztecs-180988539/This Nearly 300-Million-Year-Old Mummified Reptile Reveals the Evolutionary Origins of How We Breathehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-300-million-year-old-mummified-fossil-reveals-the-origins-of-breathing-in-amniotes-180988521/Unusually well-preserved fossils have provided the earliest known evidence of a land vertebrate that could pump air in and out of its chest using muscles between the ribs—the same strategy used by modern mammals, reptiles and birdsMon, 13 Apr 2026 20:06:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-300-million-year-old-mummified-fossil-reveals-the-origins-of-breathing-in-amniotes-180988521/A Dizzying Spiral Staircase With a Single Guardrail Once Led to the Top of the Eiffel Tower. Now, You Can Buy 14 of the Original Stepshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-dizzying-spiral-staircase-with-a-single-guardrail-once-led-to-the-top-of-the-eiffel-tower-now-you-can-buy-14-of-the-original-steps-180988535/The 1,062 steps connecting the tower's second and third levels were installed in 1889. Fragments from the 137-year-old staircase can be found at several French museumsMon, 13 Apr 2026 18:08:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-dizzying-spiral-staircase-with-a-single-guardrail-once-led-to-the-top-of-the-eiffel-tower-now-you-can-buy-14-of-the-original-steps-180988535/Rolled Up in a Cellar for Decades, This Artemisia Gentileschi Painting Is Now Up for Auction. Why Is Mary Magdalene's Face Missing From the Portrait?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rolled-up-in-a-cellar-for-decades-this-artemisia-gentileschi-painting-is-now-up-for-auction-why-is-mary-magdalenes-face-missing-from-the-portrait-180988537/Found in Berlin, the artwork was probably damaged in the chaotic aftermath of World War II. Despite the gaping hole in the canvas, it could sell for upwards of $180,000 later this monthMon, 13 Apr 2026 17:10:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rolled-up-in-a-cellar-for-decades-this-artemisia-gentileschi-painting-is-now-up-for-auction-why-is-mary-magdalenes-face-missing-from-the-portrait-180988537/Songkran Is Thailand’s Splashing New Year’s Festival, When Everyone Gets Out a Super Soaker and Prepares to Get Drenchedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-thailand-splashes-into-spring-with-songkran-a-new-years-water-festival-starting-april-13-180988536/The memorable tradition has a deep cultural history rooted in Buddhism and increasing global notoriety for its rowdy water fightsMon, 13 Apr 2026 16:38:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-thailand-splashes-into-spring-with-songkran-a-new-years-water-festival-starting-april-13-180988536/In a First, This Personalized Cell Therapy Treated Three Life-Threatening Autoimmune Diseases in One Patienthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-this-personalized-cell-therapy-treated-three-life-threatening-autoimmune-diseases-in-one-patient-180988528/The patient was bedridden and needed daily blood transfusions, and she had tried nine different therapies that didn't bring lasting effects. So, researchers modified some of her immune cells so they would attack her faulty cellsMon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-this-personalized-cell-therapy-treated-three-life-threatening-autoimmune-diseases-in-one-patient-180988528/Where Does This Anti-War Masterpiece Belong? In Spain, a Request to Borrow Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ Sparks a Bitter Debatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/The artwork depicts the bombing of a Basque village in 1937. Now, the relocation debate is raising questions about how to balance the painting’s cultural significance with conservation needsMon, 13 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/Enslaved and Free Workers Built Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Brick by Brick. Archaeologists Just Discovered One of the Kilns They Usedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-built-thomas-jeffersons-monticello-brick-by-brick-archaeologists-just-discovered-one-of-the-kilns-they-used-180988525/Researchers think the newly unearthed structure was used to fire and cure bricks during construction of the site’s original mansion in the early 1770sMon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-built-thomas-jeffersons-monticello-brick-by-brick-archaeologists-just-discovered-one-of-the-kilns-they-used-180988525/Artemis 2 Astronauts Successfully Return to Earth After Completing a Historic Mission Around the Moonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-2-astronauts-successfully-return-to-earth-after-completing-a-historic-mission-around-the-moon-180988513/The crewmembers splashed down Friday after breaking a space-faring record and viewing lunar features never seen by human eyes during their ten-day trip. It marks the first time anyone has left Earth's orbit in more than 50 yearsSat, 11 Apr 2026 00:07:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-2-astronauts-successfully-return-to-earth-after-completing-a-historic-mission-around-the-moon-180988513/These Wild Chimps Have Been Fighting in a 'Civil War' for Nearly a Decade. It's the Bloodiest Split Ever Seen Among Their Kindhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-wild-chimps-have-been-fighting-in-a-civil-war-for-nearly-a-decade-its-the-bloodiest-split-ever-seen-among-their-kind-180988527/The Ngogo chimpanzees in Uganda have divided themselves into two main factions, and dozens of deaths have been recorded since the split in 2018. A new study details the unprecedented violence, which could shed light on the evolutionary underpinnings of human warfareFri, 10 Apr 2026 20:12:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-wild-chimps-have-been-fighting-in-a-civil-war-for-nearly-a-decade-its-the-bloodiest-split-ever-seen-among-their-kind-180988527/This Vincent van Gogh Painting Was Found Wrapped in an Ikea Bag and a Blood-Stained Pillow. Now, the Artwork Has Been Restored to Its Former Gloryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-vincent-van-gogh-painting-was-found-wrapped-in-an-ikea-bag-and-a-blood-stained-pillow-now-the-artwork-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180988530/Art sleuth Arthur Brand recovered "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring" in 2023, three years after it was stolen from a Dutch museum. Following careful restoration, the canvas is now back on displayFri, 10 Apr 2026 19:00:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-vincent-van-gogh-painting-was-found-wrapped-in-an-ikea-bag-and-a-blood-stained-pillow-now-the-artwork-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180988530/After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Gamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/In 1948, amateur archaeologists unearthed the remains, which should have shifted researchers' views of Neanderthals. But poor documentation sowed skepticism in the scientific communityFri, 10 Apr 2026 16:05:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/This Fashion Designer Collaborated With Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau to Imagine Fabulous Surrealist Ensembleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/A new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum lays out the history and legacy of the House of Schiaparelli, focusing on its founder’s unique creative processesFri, 10 Apr 2026 13:33:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/As Their Antarctic Habitat Melts Away, Emperor Penguins Are Now Considered an Endangered Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-their-antarctic-habitat-melts-away-emperor-penguins-are-now-considered-an-endangered-species-180988520/The International Union for Conservation of Nature predicts that the birds' population could be cut in half by the 2080s. The organization also changed the statuses of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant sealsThu, 09 Apr 2026 20:35:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-their-antarctic-habitat-melts-away-emperor-penguins-are-now-considered-an-endangered-species-180988520/Octopus Sex Just Got Weirder. In Addition to Depositing Sperm, Males' Specialized Mating Arm Can 'Taste' Female Hormoneshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopus-sex-just-got-weirder-in-addition-to-depositing-sperm-males-specialized-mating-arm-can-taste-female-hormones-180988500/The hectocotylus is both a reproductive organ and a sensory organ, a rare combination in animals, new research suggestsThu, 09 Apr 2026 18:38:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopus-sex-just-got-weirder-in-addition-to-depositing-sperm-males-specialized-mating-arm-can-taste-female-hormones-180988500/A Mysterious, Monumental Scroll on Public Display for the First Time Paints a Picture of Artistic Fusion in Colonial Indiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/A new exhibition shares the artistic legacy of centuries of British East India Company influence in East and Southeast AsiaThu, 09 Apr 2026 17:45:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/Jesus's Burial Cloth or Medieval Forgery? DNA Evidence Further Complicates the Debate Over the Shroud of Turinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jesus-burial-cloth-or-medieval-forgery-dna-evidence-further-complicates-the-debate-over-the-shroud-of-turin-180988514/A new analysis revealed traces of various plants, animals and humans on the controversial linen cloth. But outside experts are skeptical of the findings, which could complicate efforts to identify the shroud's original wearerThu, 09 Apr 2026 15:17:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jesus-burial-cloth-or-medieval-forgery-dna-evidence-further-complicates-the-debate-over-the-shroud-of-turin-180988514/Watch These Rock-Climbing Fish Scale a 50-Foot Waterfall in the Congo Basin, the First Known Evidence of This Behavior in Africahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-these-rock-climbing-fish-scale-a-50-foot-waterfall-in-the-congo-basin-the-first-known-evidence-of-this-behavior-in-africa-180988502/The tiny fish, called shellears, use microscopic hook-like growths on their fins to ascend—and they take a lot of breaks. The full climb probably takes about ten hours, according to a new studyThu, 09 Apr 2026 15:02:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-these-rock-climbing-fish-scale-a-50-foot-waterfall-in-the-congo-basin-the-first-known-evidence-of-this-behavior-in-africa-180988502/A Small Rodent Hero Left a Giant Legacy. Now, Cambodia Honors This Famous Bomb-Sniffing Rat With a Seven-Foot Statuehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-small-rodent-hero-left-a-giant-legacy-now-cambodia-honors-this-famous-bomb-sniffing-rat-with-a-seven-foot-statue-180988515/Magawa the African giant pouched rat cleared more 1.5 million square feet of land mines during his five-year career, making him one of the most successful bomb-sniffing rodents in the country’s historyThu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-small-rodent-hero-left-a-giant-legacy-now-cambodia-honors-this-famous-bomb-sniffing-rat-with-a-seven-foot-statue-180988515/Long Before Machine Guns, Ancient Roman Troops Used This 2,000-Year-Old Rapid-Fire Weapon in Pompeii, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-before-machine-guns-ancient-roman-troops-were-using-this-rapid-fire-weapon-180988504/Ancient Roman forces may have used the polybolos to quell a rebellion at Pompeii in 89 B.C.E. The unique weapon was likely developed by a Greek engineer centuries earlierThu, 09 Apr 2026 11:13:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-before-machine-guns-ancient-roman-troops-were-using-this-rapid-fire-weapon-180988504/What's Inside America's Lost Luggage? These Travelers Abandoned a Samurai Sword, a Meteorite and a Robot With a Mysterious Purposehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/Unclaimed Baggage sells lost belongings at a 50,000-square-foot store in Alabama. An annual report explores how objects packed in 2025 reflect cultural trendsThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/This Fossil Held the World Record for the Earliest Known Octopus. Turns Out, It's Not an Octopus After Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-fossil-held-the-world-record-for-the-earliest-known-octopus-turns-out-its-not-an-octopus-after-all-180988511/New research suggests the 300-million-year-old specimen is actually a relative of the nautilusWed, 08 Apr 2026 21:07:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-fossil-held-the-world-record-for-the-earliest-known-octopus-turns-out-its-not-an-octopus-after-all-180988511/Archaeologists Didn’t Expect to Find Anything at This Site in England. Then, They Stumbled Upon a Roman Villa and a Bronze Artifact Dubbed 'Norfolk Nessie'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-didnt-expect-to-find-anything-at-this-site-in-england-then-they-stumbled-upon-a-roman-villa-and-a-bronze-artifact-dubbed-norfolk-nessie-180988505/Ahead of wind farm development on Britain's eastern coast, excavations along an underground cable route uncovered the ruins of an ancient farming estate that boasted its own bathhouseWed, 08 Apr 2026 17:47:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-didnt-expect-to-find-anything-at-this-site-in-england-then-they-stumbled-upon-a-roman-villa-and-a-bronze-artifact-dubbed-norfolk-nessie-180988505/Freshwater Fish Migrations Are Disappearing Across the Planet, Finds U.N. Reporthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freshwater-fish-migrations-are-disappearing-across-the-planet-finds-un-report-180988509/The assessment identified over 300 species of fish that urgently need international conservation effortWed, 08 Apr 2026 17:38:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freshwater-fish-migrations-are-disappearing-across-the-planet-finds-un-report-180988509/Can Frida Kahlo Leave Mexico? Plans to Relocate a Trove of Paintings by the Famous Artist Spark a Heated Debatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-frida-kahlo-leave-mexico-plans-to-relocate-a-trove-of-paintings-by-the-famous-artist-spark-heated-debate-180988506/Nearly 400 cultural heritage professionals signed an open letter protesting plans to move a collection featuring artworks by the renowned Mexican painter out of her home countryWed, 08 Apr 2026 16:11:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-frida-kahlo-leave-mexico-plans-to-relocate-a-trove-of-paintings-by-the-famous-artist-spark-heated-debate-180988506/See the 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Roman Cargo From an Accidental Shipwreck Discovered at the Bottom of a Lake in Switzerlandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2000-year-old-cargo-from-roman-ship-discovered-at-the-bottom-of-swiss-lake-180988492/Divers recovered weapons, tools, pieces of horse-drawn chariots, ceramic plates, platters and goblets. One archaeologist surmises that the loss would have been "immense" at the timeWed, 08 Apr 2026 14:31:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2000-year-old-cargo-from-roman-ship-discovered-at-the-bottom-of-swiss-lake-180988492/What Is a Shark? A New Genetic Analysis Throws an 'Unexpected Wrench' Into Our Understanding of the Ocean Predatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-is-a-shark-a-new-genetic-analysis-throws-a-wrench-into-our-understanding-of-the-oceans-predators-180988501/Some shark species might belong to their own distinct lineage, which is separate from all other sharks, rays and skates, according to a new studyWed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-is-a-shark-a-new-genetic-analysis-throws-a-wrench-into-our-understanding-of-the-oceans-predators-180988501/New Fossils Discovered in China Hint That Complex Life Evolved Millions of Years Earlier Than Scientists Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-fossils-discovered-in-china-hint-that-complex-life-evolved-millions-of-years-earlier-than-scientists-thought-180988490/The assemblage suggests that the ancestors of some of today's animal groups may have arisen before the famed Cambrian explosionTue, 07 Apr 2026 19:32:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-fossils-discovered-in-china-hint-that-complex-life-evolved-millions-of-years-earlier-than-scientists-thought-180988490/See the Awe-Inspiring New Photos of the Moon and Earth Sent Back From the Artemis 2 Missionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-awe-inspiring-new-photos-of-the-moon-and-earth-sent-back-from-the-artemis-2-mission-180988498/The astronauts are on their way home after looping around the moon on a historic flyby. Here are the dazzling images they capturedTue, 07 Apr 2026 19:07:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-awe-inspiring-new-photos-of-the-moon-and-earth-sent-back-from-the-artemis-2-mission-180988498/Thieves Who Allegedly Stole an Ancient Gold Helmet Belonging to a Lost European Culture Just Returned Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-allegedly-stole-gold-helmet-lost-european-culture-returned-it-180988487/More than a year after the Romanian treasure disappeared from a museum in the Netherlands, it’s back in the hands of authorities. The men accused of stealing it will face trial later this monthTue, 07 Apr 2026 16:28:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-allegedly-stole-gold-helmet-lost-european-culture-returned-it-180988487/Scientists Engineered Tobacco Plants to Produce Five Mind-Altering Psychedelic Compoundshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-engineered-tobacco-plants-to-produce-five-mind-altering-psychedelic-compounds-180988488/The substances have been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, but they've recently become popular as possible therapeutics for mental health conditionsTue, 07 Apr 2026 15:58:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-engineered-tobacco-plants-to-produce-five-mind-altering-psychedelic-compounds-180988488/Becoming an Expert Birder Can Reshape Your Brain and Might Help Protect It From Aging, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/becoming-an-expert-birder-can-reshape-your-brain-and-might-help-protect-it-from-aging-new-research-suggests-180988489/Compared with novices, seasoned birders had denser, more structurally complex brain regions involved with tasks like object identification, visual processing, attention and working memoryTue, 07 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/becoming-an-expert-birder-can-reshape-your-brain-and-might-help-protect-it-from-aging-new-research-suggests-180988489/This Danish Warship Exploded in Battle 225 Years Ago. Now, Archaeologists Are Racing to Recover Its Artifactshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-danish-warship-exploded-in-battle-225-years-ago-now-archaeologists-are-racing-to-recover-its-artifacts-180988493/The destruction of the "Dannebroge" was documented in art and history books. Now, thanks to a museum's excavations, archaeologists can study the wreck up close for the first timeTue, 07 Apr 2026 11:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-danish-warship-exploded-in-battle-225-years-ago-now-archaeologists-are-racing-to-recover-its-artifacts-180988493/Lightning Strikes on Jupiter Are 100 Times as Powerful as Those on Earth, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/Scientists finally have a clearer picture of the gas giant's intense stormsMon, 06 Apr 2026 19:04:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lightning-strikes-on-jupiter-are-100-times-as-powerful-as-those-on-earth-a-new-study-suggests-180988455/This Soldier Died of Yellow Fever During a Hurricane 153 Years Ago. Archaeologists Just Found His Gravehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-died-of-yellow-fever-during-a-hurricane-153-years-ago-archaeologists-just-found-his-grave-180988484/George Tupper, a 22-year-old from Massachusetts, was nearly a year into his military service when a yellow fever outbreak struck Fort JeffersonMon, 06 Apr 2026 18:05:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-died-of-yellow-fever-during-a-hurricane-153-years-ago-archaeologists-just-found-his-grave-180988484/These Rotund and 'Charmingly Goofy' Birds Are Delighting New Yorkers and Dancing on Social Media. What Is the American Woodcock?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-rotund-and-charmingly-goofy-birds-are-delighting-new-yorkers-and-dancing-on-social-media-what-is-the-american-woodcock-180988486/The endearing animals make a pit stop in Bryant Park during their migrations to northern breeding grounds, gathering fans and starring in viral videosMon, 06 Apr 2026 17:16:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-rotund-and-charmingly-goofy-birds-are-delighting-new-yorkers-and-dancing-on-social-media-what-is-the-american-woodcock-180988486/Doctors Used 'Digital Twins' of Patients' Hearts to Fix Their Irregular Heartbeatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doctors-used-digital-twins-of-patients-hearts-to-fix-their-irregular-heartbeats-180988476/A small clinical trial suggests the technology can help physicians perform life-saving surgeries more efficiently and safelyMon, 06 Apr 2026 15:47:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doctors-used-digital-twins-of-patients-hearts-to-fix-their-irregular-heartbeats-180988476/See a Colorful Wall of Vintage iMacs and a Re-creation of Steve Jobs' Garage at a New Apple Museum in the Netherlandshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-colorful-wall-of-vintage-imacs-and-a-recreation-of-steve-jobs-garage-at-a-new-apple-museum-in-the-netherlands-180988485/The tech world changed forever when two college dropouts founded Apple on April 1, 1976. Fifty years later, a museum dedicated to the company's history and evolution has opened in the city of UtrechtMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-colorful-wall-of-vintage-imacs-and-a-recreation-of-steve-jobs-garage-at-a-new-apple-museum-in-the-netherlands-180988485/Artemis Astronauts Overcome Toilet Trouble and Officially Head Toward the Moonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-astronauts-overcome-toilet-trouble-and-officially-head-toward-the-moon-180988483/Houston, we have a potty problemFri, 03 Apr 2026 20:35:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artemis-astronauts-overcome-toilet-trouble-and-officially-head-toward-the-moon-180988483/Despite Their Tiny Brains, Bumblebees Have a Surprising Sense of Rhythm, According to a New Study by Neuroscientistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumble-bees-have-a-surprising-sense-of-rhythm-despite-their-tiny-brains-180988481/By speeding up the tempo of alternating flashing lights, the scientists were able to demonstrate yet another example of the small insect's remarkable mindFri, 03 Apr 2026 19:10:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumble-bees-have-a-surprising-sense-of-rhythm-despite-their-tiny-brains-180988481/The World's Longest Outdoor Escalator Just Opened in China. Riding the 3,000-Foot-Long System to the Top Takes More Than 20 Minuteshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator-just-opened-in-china-riding-the-3000-foot-long-system-to-the-top-takes-more-than-20-minutes-180988468/The new "Goddess" escalator in Wushan County features 21 individual escalators and 8 elevators. The modular design carries riders up 800 feet in elevationFri, 03 Apr 2026 18:28:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator-just-opened-in-china-riding-the-3000-foot-long-system-to-the-top-takes-more-than-20-minutes-180988468/Rock Art Suggests the Tasmanian Tiger May Have Survived on Mainland Australia Longer Than Previously Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rock-art-suggests-the-tasmanian-tiger-may-have-survived-on-mainland-australia-longer-than-previously-thought-180988472/Archaeologists think some of the paintings may be less than 1,000 years old, even though the animals were thought to have disappeared from the continent roughly 3,000 years agoFri, 03 Apr 2026 17:58:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rock-art-suggests-the-tasmanian-tiger-may-have-survived-on-mainland-australia-longer-than-previously-thought-180988472/Meet Domino, a Tiny, Bumpy Fish Making a Splash in Chicagohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-domino-a-tiny-bumpy-fish-making-a-splash-in-chicago-180988482/The warty frogfish, also known as a clown anglerfish, is believed to be the first of its kind born and raised in captivityFri, 03 Apr 2026 17:48:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-domino-a-tiny-bumpy-fish-making-a-splash-in-chicago-180988482/The Titanic's Wealthiest Victim Was Carrying a Gold Pocket Watch When He Died. Now, It Could Sell for $500,000 at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanics-wealthiest-victim-was-carrying-a-gold-pocket-watch-when-he-died-now-it-could-sell-for-500000-at-auction-180988475/John Jacob Astor IV was returning from his honeymoon with his wife, who survived the 1912 disaster. His pocket watch and gold pencil case are going up for sale this monthFri, 03 Apr 2026 16:57:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanics-wealthiest-victim-was-carrying-a-gold-pocket-watch-when-he-died-now-it-could-sell-for-500000-at-auction-180988475/Are These the Earliest Known Dice in the World? Native Americans May Have Used Them to Play Games of Chance More Than 12,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-these-the-earliest-known-dice-in-the-world-native-americans-may-have-used-them-to-play-games-of-chance-more-than-12000-years-ago-180988479/A new study suggests that humans were playing with probability during the Ice Age—and that dice were invented 6,000 years earlier than previously thoughtFri, 03 Apr 2026 14:30:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-these-the-earliest-known-dice-in-the-world-native-americans-may-have-used-them-to-play-games-of-chance-more-than-12000-years-ago-180988479/An Astronaut's Sudden Inability to Speak Prompted the ISS's First Medical Evacuation. Doctors Still Don't Know What Caused the Issuehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-astronauts-sudden-inability-to-speak-prompted-the-isss-first-medical-evacuation-doctors-still-dont-know-what-caused-the-issue-180988471/The individual who fell ill, NASA's Mike Fincke, says the medical team is almost certain that the issue was related to being in spaceFri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-astronauts-sudden-inability-to-speak-prompted-the-isss-first-medical-evacuation-doctors-still-dont-know-what-caused-the-issue-180988471/Experts Are Carefully Restoring a 15th-Century Masterpiece by Giovanni Bellini—and You Can Watch Them Workhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/The two-year project is expected to cost around $580,000, and visitors to the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice will be able to observe the process in personThu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/This 500-Million-Year-Old Fossil of a Claw-Bearing Predator Uncovers the Origins of Spiders, Scorpions and Other Arthropodshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-500-million-year-old-fossil-of-a-claw-bearing-predator-uncovers-the-origins-of-spiders-scorpions-and-other-arthropods-180988477/A new analysis of a specimen found more than 40 years ago reveals the oldest known chelicerate, defined by its pair of pincer-like appendagesThu, 02 Apr 2026 20:22:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-500-million-year-old-fossil-of-a-claw-bearing-predator-uncovers-the-origins-of-spiders-scorpions-and-other-arthropods-180988477/In a First, an Astronomer May Have Witnessed a Comet Stop Its Spin—Then Reverse Its Rotationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-an-astronomer-may-have-witnessed-a-comet-stop-its-spin-then-reverse-its-rotation-180988469/Archival images snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope revealed the unusual eventThu, 02 Apr 2026 16:56:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-an-astronomer-may-have-witnessed-a-comet-stop-its-spin-then-reverse-its-rotation-180988469/This Painting Was Thought to Be a Workshop Copy of a Rembrandt. Now, One Scholar Argues It's the Real Dealhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-painting-was-thought-to-be-a-workshop-copy-of-a-rembrandt-now-one-scholar-argues-its-the-real-deal-180988473/"Old Man With a Gold Chain" is on display beside a smaller copy for the first time in centuries. According to scholar Gary Schwartz, the Dutch master painted both himselfThu, 02 Apr 2026 14:16:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-painting-was-thought-to-be-a-workshop-copy-of-a-rembrandt-now-one-scholar-argues-its-the-real-deal-180988473/How Do Snakes 'Stand' Upright Nearly Stick-Straight? New Research Points to How They Pull Off the Gravity-Defying Feathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-snakes-stand-upright-nearly-stick-straight-new-research-points-to-how-they-pull-off-the-gravity-defying-feat-180988470/These clever creatures seem to concentrate their muscle activity near their bases, which helps them cross gaps between tree branches in the wildThu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-snakes-stand-upright-nearly-stick-straight-new-research-points-to-how-they-pull-off-the-gravity-defying-feat-180988470/NASA's Artemis 2 Mission Launches, Sending Humans Toward the Moon for the First Time in More Than 50 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-artemis-2-mission-launches-sending-humans-toward-the-moon-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-50-years-180988026/Four astronauts have begun a ten-day mission in which they’ll loop around the moon, laying the groundwork to put humans on the lunar surface as early as 2028Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:35:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-artemis-2-mission-launches-sending-humans-toward-the-moon-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-50-years-180988026/This Secret Passageway May Have Been Part of the Underground Railroad. Now, Preservationists Say It's in Dangerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-secret-passageway-may-have-been-part-of-the-underground-railroad-now-preservationists-say-its-in-danger-180988461/The Merchant's House Museum in New York City announced its investigation into the tunnel's history in February. A neighboring development could threaten the building's walls and foundationsWed, 01 Apr 2026 19:08:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-secret-passageway-may-have-been-part-of-the-underground-railroad-now-preservationists-say-its-in-danger-180988461/Humans Might Struggle to Make Babies in Space. Sperm Gets Disoriented in Microgravity, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-might-struggle-to-make-babies-in-space-sperm-gets-disoriented-in-microgravity-a-new-study-suggests-180988459/Simulated near-weightless conditions reduced human sperm’s navigational abilitiesWed, 01 Apr 2026 18:59:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-might-struggle-to-make-babies-in-space-sperm-gets-disoriented-in-microgravity-a-new-study-suggests-180988459/What Did Ancient Pompeians Burn as Offerings to Their Gods? New Research Reveals the Surprising Answerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-did-ancient-pompeians-burn-as-offerings-to-their-gods-new-research-reveals-the-surprising-answer-180988467/An analysis of incense burners discovered in the doomed city identified traces of resin imported from sub-Saharan Africa or Asia, testifying to Pompeii's extensive trade networksWed, 01 Apr 2026 18:29:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-did-ancient-pompeians-burn-as-offerings-to-their-gods-new-research-reveals-the-surprising-answer-180988467/A Truck Driver Spent 20 Years Making This Astonishing Scale Model of Every Single Building in New York Cityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-truck-drive-spent-20-years-making-this-astonishing-scale-model-of-every-single-building-in-new-york-city-180988443/The 1,350-square-foot model is now on display at the Museum of the City of New York, where visitors can use binoculars to see tiny replicas of all five boroughsWed, 01 Apr 2026 17:45:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-truck-drive-spent-20-years-making-this-astonishing-scale-model-of-every-single-building-in-new-york-city-180988443/Could Python Blood Lead to the Next Generation of Weight-Loss Drugs?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-python-blood-lead-to-the-next-generation-of-weight-loss-drugs-180988438/Researchers discovered an appetite-suppressing molecule in python blood. If one day turned into a medication, it might lack some of the common negative side effects of GLP-1sWed, 01 Apr 2026 15:25:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-python-blood-lead-to-the-next-generation-of-weight-loss-drugs-180988438/These Snorkeling Scientists Stumbled Upon a Surprising Trove of Fossils in a Texas Water Cavehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-snorkeling-scientists-stumbled-upon-an-surprising-trove-of-fossils-in-a-texas-water-cave-180988464/They found remains of animals that have never been uncovered in Central Texas. The fossils hint that the region was warm, moist and forested 100,000 years agoWed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-snorkeling-scientists-stumbled-upon-an-surprising-trove-of-fossils-in-a-texas-water-cave-180988464/Is This 1,800-Year-Old Mosaic the First Known Image of a Woman Fighting Wild Beasts in an Ancient Roman Arena?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-1800-year-old-mosaic-the-first-known-image-of-a-woman-fighting-wild-beasts-in-an-ancient-roman-arena-180988456/The artwork was destroyed during World War I. But an archaeologist's sketch may reveal a female figure wielding a whip and facing off against a leopard, a new study suggestsWed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-1800-year-old-mosaic-the-first-known-image-of-a-woman-fighting-wild-beasts-in-an-ancient-roman-arena-180988456/This C-3PO Head From 'The Empire Strikes Back' Just Sold for More Than $1 Million at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-c-3po-head-from-the-empire-strikes-back-just-sold-for-more-than-1-million-at-auction-180988460/The 'Star Wars' prop was likely the only C-3PO head from the 1980 film to appear on the collector market. It features working light-up eyes, including one with the original wiringTue, 31 Mar 2026 20:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-c-3po-head-from-the-empire-strikes-back-just-sold-for-more-than-1-million-at-auction-180988460/The 'Cicada' Variant of Covid-19 Is Spreading in the United States. Here's What You Need to Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-cicada-variant-of-covid-19-is-spreading-in-the-united-states-heres-what-you-need-to-know-180988462/Infection levels are still low in the country, but the highly mutated variant might be able to evade your body’s immune defenses acquired via vaccine or past infectionTue, 31 Mar 2026 19:35:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-cicada-variant-of-covid-19-is-spreading-in-the-united-states-heres-what-you-need-to-know-180988462/Art Thieves Steal Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse Worth More Than $10 Million, Fleeing the Scene in Just Three Minuteshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-thieves-steal-paintings-by-renoir-cezanne-and-matisse-worth-more-than-10-million-fleeing-the-scene-in-just-three-minutes-180988465/The Magnani-Rocca Foundation in Italy was the target of a shocking art heist—only five months after a high-profile theft at the Louvre in ParisTue, 31 Mar 2026 18:48:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-thieves-steal-paintings-by-renoir-cezanne-and-matisse-worth-more-than-10-million-fleeing-the-scene-in-just-three-minutes-180988465/When Did the Earth's Crust Start to Shift? Scientists Uncover Evidence of Plate Tectonics Happening 3.48 Billion Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-the-earths-crust-start-to-shift-scientists-uncover-evidence-of-plate-tectonics-happening-3-48-billion-years-ago-180988399/A new study provides the oldest direct evidence of tectonic plate movement ever recordedTue, 31 Mar 2026 16:48:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-the-earths-crust-start-to-shift-scientists-uncover-evidence-of-plate-tectonics-happening-3-48-billion-years-ago-180988399/Watch Unprecedented Footage of Sperm Whales Helping a Newborn Calf Take Its First Breathshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-unprecedented-footage-of-sperm-whales-helping-a-newborn-calf-take-its-first-breaths-180988450/Unrelated animals worked with the mother and her relatives, marking the first known evidence of whales from multiple families assisting in a birthTue, 31 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-unprecedented-footage-of-sperm-whales-helping-a-newborn-calf-take-its-first-breaths-180988450/Charles Dickens Searched the Streets of London and Found Inspiration for His Evocative Fictionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-dickens-searched-the-streets-of-london-and-found-inspiration-for-his-evocative-fiction-180988451/A three-part BBC series will examine how real events shaped the 19th-century British author's writing. The show is part of the National Year of Reading in the U.K.Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-dickens-searched-the-streets-of-london-and-found-inspiration-for-his-evocative-fiction-180988451/Did Neanderthals Use Birch Bark Tar as an Antibiotic to Treat Wounds and Infections?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-use-birch-bark-tar-as-an-antibiotic-to-treat-wounds-and-infections-180988393/Scientists created samples of the black resin using three methods and tested their effectiveness against two common bacteriaMon, 30 Mar 2026 20:55:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-use-birch-bark-tar-as-an-antibiotic-to-treat-wounds-and-infections-180988393/These Long-Lost Photos of the Chelsea Hotel Reveal Intimate Portraits of Its Bohemian Residents—From Patti Smith to Bob Dylanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-long-lost-photos-of-the-chelsea-hotel-reveal-intimate-portraits-of-its-bohemian-residentsfrom-patti-smith-to-bob-dylan-180988458/Photographer Albert Scopin documented the countercultural hub at its peak in the mid-20th century. Now, the recovered photos are the subject of a new book and exhibition celebrating the New York City landmarkMon, 30 Mar 2026 20:10:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-long-lost-photos-of-the-chelsea-hotel-reveal-intimate-portraits-of-its-bohemian-residentsfrom-patti-smith-to-bob-dylan-180988458/Astronomers Discover a Rare Primitive Star That Provides a Chemical Snapshot of the Early Universehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovere-a-rare-primitive-star-that-provides-a-chemical-snapshot-of-the-early-universe-180988454/PicII-503 is likely a second-generation star, born from the remnants of the very first stars, according to a new studyMon, 30 Mar 2026 19:13:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovere-a-rare-primitive-star-that-provides-a-chemical-snapshot-of-the-early-universe-180988454/These 17-Million-Year-Old Fossils Could Rewrite the Evolutionary Tree of Apes—Including Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-17-million-year-old-fossils-could-rewrite-the-evolutionary-tree-of-apes-including-humans-180988446/Jawbone fragments and teeth from a previously unknown species hint that the evolution of modern apes occurred in what's now North Africa or the Arabian Peninsula, rather than in East AfricaMon, 30 Mar 2026 16:08:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-17-million-year-old-fossils-could-rewrite-the-evolutionary-tree-of-apes-including-humans-180988446/Sharks in the Bahamas Test Positive for Drugs, Including Cocaine and Painkillers, in a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-in-the-bahamas-test-positive-for-drugs-including-cocaine-and-painkillers-in-a-new-study-180988445/Around one-third of the studied sharks had detectable levels of the analyzed drugs in their bloodMon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-in-the-bahamas-test-positive-for-drugs-including-cocaine-and-painkillers-in-a-new-study-180988445/Willem de Kooning Didn't Get His Big Break Until His 40s. See the Stunning Abstract Paintings That First Captivated Audienceshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/willem-de-kooning-didnt-get-his-big-break-until-his-40s-see-the-stunning-abstract-paintings-that-first-captivated-audiences-180988397/Artworks that showcase the painter's early foray into Abstract Expressionism are now on view at the Princeton University Art MuseumMon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/willem-de-kooning-didnt-get-his-big-break-until-his-40s-see-the-stunning-abstract-paintings-that-first-captivated-audiences-180988397/Does This Skeleton Found Beneath a Dutch Church Belong to D'Artagnan, the Man Who Inspired 'The Three Musketeers'?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/Workers discovered the skeleton during recent repair work at the church in Maastricht. D'Artagnan died during the siege of the city in 1673Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:36:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/A Clump of Human Brain Cells on a Computer Chip Learned to Play the Nostalgic Video Game 'Doom'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-clump-of-human-brain-cells-on-a-computer-chip-learned-to-play-the-nostalgic-video-game-doom-180988447/The technology could one day help researchers develop drugs and tailor treatments to individual patientsFri, 27 Mar 2026 19:54:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-clump-of-human-brain-cells-on-a-computer-chip-learned-to-play-the-nostalgic-video-game-doom-180988447/Why Was This 2,000-Year-Old Sling Bullet Inscribed With the Word 'Learn'?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-2000-year-old-sling-bullet-inscribed-with-the-word-learn-180988449/The artifact is the first sling bullet of its kind unearthed at the ancient city of Hippos, though archaeologists have found dozens of other examples without inscriptions at the siteFri, 27 Mar 2026 19:25:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-2000-year-old-sling-bullet-inscribed-with-the-word-learn-180988449/Scientists Identify the World's First Known Dog, Which Pushes Back the Animals' Genetic Record by About 5,000 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-the-worlds-first-known-dog-which-pushes-back-the-animals-genetic-record-by-about-5000-years-180988444/Two new ancient DNA studies suggest that domesticated dogs were widespread in western Eurasia more than 14,000 years agoFri, 27 Mar 2026 17:49:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-the-worlds-first-known-dog-which-pushes-back-the-animals-genetic-record-by-about-5000-years-180988444/Two Green 'Fireballs' Streaked Across the West Coast Sky, Some of the Latest in a String of Dazzling Meteors Above the U.S.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-green-fireballs-streaked-across-the-west-coast-sky-some-of-the-latest-in-a-string-of-dazzling-meteors-above-the-us-180988441/Some of the space rocks exploded, causing loud booms, and a piece of one may have crashed into a houseFri, 27 Mar 2026 13:43:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-green-fireballs-streaked-across-the-west-coast-sky-some-of-the-latest-in-a-string-of-dazzling-meteors-above-the-us-180988441/'The Sopranos' Changed How Television Told Stories. These Scripts, Sketches and Set Designs Reveal What Made the Mob Drama So Thrillinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-sopranos-changed-how-television-told-stories-these-scripts-sketches-and-set-designs-reveal-what-made-the-mob-drama-so-thrilling-180988432/An exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York provides visitors with a behind-the-scenes look at the award-winning HBO showFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-sopranos-changed-how-television-told-stories-these-scripts-sketches-and-set-designs-reveal-what-made-the-mob-drama-so-thrilling-180988432/These Never-Before-Seen Photos Show Astronaut Neil Armstrong Relaxed and Smiling After He Almost Died in the Gemini 8 Emergencyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-never-before-seen-photos-show-astronaut-neil-armstrong-relaxed-and-smiling-after-he-almost-died-in-the-gemini-8-emergency-180988442/Few members of the media were at the unexpected arrival site. Military police officer Ron McQueeney was one of the few photographers who documented the occasionThu, 26 Mar 2026 22:21:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-never-before-seen-photos-show-astronaut-neil-armstrong-relaxed-and-smiling-after-he-almost-died-in-the-gemini-8-emergency-180988442/Scientists Say This 600-Year-Old Grape Seed Is 'Genetically Identical' to Modern Varieties Used to Make Pinot Noirhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-this-600-year-old-grape-seed-is-genetically-identical-to-modern-varieties-used-to-make-pinot-noir-180988437/Researchers analyzed grape seeds dating to between 2300 B.C.E. and 1500 C.E., including one particularly intriguing sample found in the toilet of a medieval hospital in FranceThu, 26 Mar 2026 17:43:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-this-600-year-old-grape-seed-is-genetically-identical-to-modern-varieties-used-to-make-pinot-noir-180988437/In a First, the World's Most Expensive and Volatile Substance—Antimatter—Traveled by Truckhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-the-worlds-most-expensive-and-volatile-substance-antimatter-traveled-by-truck-180988431/The work paves the way for longer-distance transport of the rare material so scientists can study it at other facilitiesThu, 26 Mar 2026 16:02:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-the-worlds-most-expensive-and-volatile-substance-antimatter-traveled-by-truck-180988431/Vivid Dreams Might Be Key to Feeling Well Rested When You Wake Up, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vivid-dreams-might-be-key-to-feeling-well-rested-when-you-wake-up-according-to-a-new-study-180988434/The findings could help explain the purpose of dreams and help physicians better treat people with sleep disordersThu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vivid-dreams-might-be-key-to-feeling-well-rested-when-you-wake-up-according-to-a-new-study-180988434/This Spellbinding Exhibition Explores How Ancient Cultures Used Magic to Navigate Life's Challengeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-spellbinding-exhibition-explores-how-ancient-cultures-used-magic-to-navigate-lifes-challenges-180988436/The Toledo Museum of Art is showcasing a treasure trove of masks, amulets, spellbooks and gems dating to between 2000 B.C.E. and 300 C.E.Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-spellbinding-exhibition-explores-how-ancient-cultures-used-magic-to-navigate-lifes-challenges-180988436/NASA Aims to Launch the World's First Planet-Hopping Spacecraft Powered by Nuclear Fissionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-aims-to-launch-the-worlds-first-planet-hopping-spacecraft-powered-by-nuclear-fission-180988433/The agency wants the mission to head to Mars by the end of 2028Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:54:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-aims-to-launch-the-worlds-first-planet-hopping-spacecraft-powered-by-nuclear-fission-180988433/See the Stunning 171-Year-Old Sketch That Helped Put Yosemite on the Maphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-171-year-old-sketch-that-helped-put-yosemite-on-the-map-180988385/The Library of Congress has acquired a drawing and accompanying lithograph of Yosemite Falls created by Gold Rush-era artist Thomas Almond Ayres in 1855Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:51:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-171-year-old-sketch-that-helped-put-yosemite-on-the-map-180988385/Archaeologists Discover an Intact Cannonball From the Battle of the Alamo—One Day Before the Pivotal Conflict's 190th Anniversaryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-an-intact-cannonball-from-the-battle-of-the-alamo-one-day-before-the-pivotal-conflicts-190th-anniversary-180988402/The projectile is made of bronze, which suggests it was fired by the Mexican Army during the siege leading up to the 1836 battleWed, 25 Mar 2026 18:31:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-an-intact-cannonball-from-the-battle-of-the-alamo-one-day-before-the-pivotal-conflicts-190th-anniversary-180988402/Scientists Capture the First Known Footage of Sperm Whales Headbutting, a Long-Debated Behavior That Inspired 'Moby-Dick'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-capture-the-first-known-footage-of-sperm-whales-headbutting-a-long-debated-behavior-that-inspired-moby-dick-180988411/Engaging in "rough play" might help young males practice for future headbutting contests in which they compete for matesWed, 25 Mar 2026 16:47:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-capture-the-first-known-footage-of-sperm-whales-headbutting-a-long-debated-behavior-that-inspired-moby-dick-180988411/A New Nail Polish Might Someday Solve Touch Screen Struggles for Users With Long Fingernailshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-nail-polish-might-someday-solve-touch-screen-struggles-for-users-with-long-fingernails-180988418/The experimental coating could effectively transform fingernails into touch screen-compatible stylusesWed, 25 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-nail-polish-might-someday-solve-touch-screen-struggles-for-users-with-long-fingernails-180988418/Archaeologists Are Mystified by These 2,000-Year-Old Bodies Found Seated Upright and Facing West in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-are-mystified-by-these-2000-year-old-bodies-found-seated-upright-and-facing-west-in-france-180988425/Researchers previously discovered 13 sets of human remains buried in a similar manner at the same grave site in DijonWed, 25 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-are-mystified-by-these-2000-year-old-bodies-found-seated-upright-and-facing-west-in-france-180988425/A Bronze Age Loom Sheds New Light on Mediterranean Textile Practiceshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bronze-age-loom-sheds-new-light-on-mediterranean-textile-practices-180988426/This 3,500-year-old warp-weighted loom was surprisingly preserved by a fire that destroyed multiple buildings in an ancient Iberian settlementTue, 24 Mar 2026 20:30:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bronze-age-loom-sheds-new-light-on-mediterranean-textile-practices-180988426/Archaeologists Unearth More Than 40,000 Pieces of Pottery That Ancient Egyptians Used Like Scrap Paperhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unerath-more-than-40000-pieces-pottery-that-ancient-egyptians-used-scrap-paper-180988414/The ostraca, some dating back to the time just before Cleopatra, were discovered within the ancient ruins of AthribisTue, 24 Mar 2026 20:01:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unerath-more-than-40000-pieces-pottery-that-ancient-egyptians-used-scrap-paper-180988414/This Critically Endangered Bird's Song Was About to Disappear. Scientists Saved It by Recruiting Some Wild Vocal Tutorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-critically-endangered-birds-song-was-about-to-disappear-then-scientists-recruited-some-wild-vocal-tutors-180988415/Wild-born male regent honeyeaters passed their cultural knowledge to young captive-born birdsTue, 24 Mar 2026 18:51:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-critically-endangered-birds-song-was-about-to-disappear-then-scientists-recruited-some-wild-vocal-tutors-180988415/Scientists May Have Discovered a New Type of Planet Beyond the Solar System. The Catch? It Smells Like Rotten Eggshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-a-new-type-of-planet-beyond-the-solar-system-the-catch-it-smells-like-rotten-eggs-180988390/L98-59d seems to be a molten planet with an atmosphere full of hydrogen sulfideTue, 24 Mar 2026 16:41:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-a-new-type-of-planet-beyond-the-solar-system-the-catch-it-smells-like-rotten-eggs-180988390/This Suspected Meteorite Tore Through the Roof of a Suburban Houston Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-suspected-meteorite-tore-through-the-roof-of-a-suburban-houston-home-180988396/A bright meteor streaked across the afternoon sky and exploded over southeast Texas this weekendTue, 24 Mar 2026 15:07:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-suspected-meteorite-tore-through-the-roof-of-a-suburban-houston-home-180988396/Archaeologists Identify Traces of Children's Fingerprints Still Visible on Clay Beads Created 15,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-identify-traces-of-childrens-fingerprints-still-visible-on-clay-beads-created-15000-years-ago-180988400/Discovered in present-day Israel, the beads suggest that Natufian groups used clay for symbolic purposes many years earlier than scholars previously thought, according to a new studyTue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-identify-traces-of-childrens-fingerprints-still-visible-on-clay-beads-created-15000-years-ago-180988400/Platypus Hair Shares a Puzzling Feature With Bird Feathers, Adding to the Egg-Laying Mammal's List of Unusual Characteristicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/platypus-hair-shares-a-puzzling-feature-with-bird-feathers-adding-to-egg-laying-mammals-list-of-unusual-characteristics-180988401/The species’ melanosomes—tiny, pigment-filled structures inside hair cells—are hollow, a trait never before seen in mammalsMon, 23 Mar 2026 21:52:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/platypus-hair-shares-a-puzzling-feature-with-bird-feathers-adding-to-egg-laying-mammals-list-of-unusual-characteristics-180988401/Finland Is Named the Happiest Country in the World for the Ninth Year in a Rowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/finland-is-named-the-happiest-country-in-the-world-for-the-ninth-year-in-a-row-180988388/The World Happiness Report is an annual ranking of wellbeing around the globe. This year's report spotlighted the consequences of social media useMon, 23 Mar 2026 20:18:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/finland-is-named-the-happiest-country-in-the-world-for-the-ninth-year-in-a-row-180988388/These Mesmerizing Waterfalls Flow Only Every Few Years. See the Rare Marvel Now in Southwest Utahhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-mesmerizing-waterfalls-only-flow-once-every-few-years-see-the-rare-marvel-now-in-southwest-utah-180988362/Gunlock Reservoir has exceeded 105 percent of its capacity. As a result, water is spilling onto the red rock boulders below, creating an unusual natural phenomenon just in time for spring breakMon, 23 Mar 2026 18:07:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-mesmerizing-waterfalls-only-flow-once-every-few-years-see-the-rare-marvel-now-in-southwest-utah-180988362/These Stunningly Detailed 3D Images of Ants Showcase the Remarkable Diversity Across Their Many Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-stunningly-detailed-3d-images-of-ants-showcase-the-remarkable-diversity-across-their-species-180988389/Scientists used a game-changing technique to scan about 2,200 preserved specimens in just one week to create the Antscan databaseMon, 23 Mar 2026 15:48:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-stunningly-detailed-3d-images-of-ants-showcase-the-remarkable-diversity-across-their-species-180988389/Humans and Animals Often Like the Same Mating Calls, Supporting a 150-Year-Old Observation by Charles Darwinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-and-animals-often-like-the-same-mating-calls-supporting-a-150-year-old-observation-by-charles-darwin-180988392/New research by Smithsonian scientists suggests that preferences for certain sounds might be evolutionarily conservedMon, 23 Mar 2026 12:55:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-and-animals-often-like-the-same-mating-calls-supporting-a-150-year-old-observation-by-charles-darwin-180988392/These Historic Snuffboxes Associated With 18th-Century Monarchs Were Stolen in a Shocking Heist. Now, They're Back on Public Displayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-historic-snuffboxes-associated-with-18th-century-monarchs-were-stolen-in-a-shocking-heist-now-theyre-back-on-public-display-180988366/In 2024, thieves made away with the intricately decorated boxes, which had been on display in Paris. Two of the boxes, which were later recovered, are now on view at the Victoria & Albert Museum in LondonMon, 23 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-historic-snuffboxes-associated-with-18th-century-monarchs-were-stolen-in-a-shocking-heist-now-theyre-back-on-public-display-180988366/Contrary to Popular Belief, Some Doodle Crossbred Dogs May Have More Behavioral Problems Than Their Purebred Parentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/contrary-to-popular-belief-some-doodle-crossbred-dogs-may-have-more-behavioral-problems-than-their-purebred-parents-180988380/Pet owners often pick "designer dogs" because they think they’ll be easier to train and friendlier with kids than purebreeds. A new study suggests that's not always the caseFri, 20 Mar 2026 20:45:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/contrary-to-popular-belief-some-doodle-crossbred-dogs-may-have-more-behavioral-problems-than-their-purebred-parents-180988380/Archaeologists Unearth Traces of a Mysterious Medieval City That Was Abandoned Under Puzzling Circumstances Hundreds of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-traces-of-a-mysterious-medieval-city-that-was-abandoned-under-puzzling-circumstances-hundreds-of-years-ago-180988391/Found in a Polish forest, the town of Stolzenberg appears to have been built around the turn of the 14th century. Surveys revealed evidence of a town square, a main street and a moatFri, 20 Mar 2026 19:53:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-traces-of-a-mysterious-medieval-city-that-was-abandoned-under-puzzling-circumstances-hundreds-of-years-ago-180988391/See Ramses II's Intricately Decorated Coffin and Rare Treasures From His Reign at This New Immersive Exhibitionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ramses-iis-intricately-decorated-coffin-and-rare-treasures-from-his-reign-at-this-new-immersive-exhibition-180988306/Now on display in London, "Ramses and the Pharaohs' Gold" features 3,000-year-old artifacts alongside virtual reality experiences that transport museumgoers to the 13th century B.C.E.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:28:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ramses-iis-intricately-decorated-coffin-and-rare-treasures-from-his-reign-at-this-new-immersive-exhibition-180988306/See the 2,500-Pound Bronze Bison as They Arrive at Their New, Permanent Place at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-2500-pound-bronze-bison-as-they-arrive-at-their-new-permanent-place-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-natural-history-180988387/More than a century ago, the massive mammals actually grazed beside the Smithsonian Castle. As of today, two large sculptures continue that legacy as they flank the museum’s main entranceFri, 20 Mar 2026 17:12:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-2500-pound-bronze-bison-as-they-arrive-at-their-new-permanent-place-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-natural-history-180988387/Humans May Have Transported Live Parrots Over the Andes Mountains Along Sophisticated Trade Routes Before the Rise of the Inca Empirehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-may-have-transported-live-parrots-over-the-andes-mountains-along-sophisticated-trade-routes-before-the-rise-of-the-inca-empire-180988377/Archaeologists were puzzled when they found parrot feathers in a pre-Inca burial in coastal Peru. A new study suggests that the birds were captured in the wild and kept alive over lengthy journeysFri, 20 Mar 2026 16:20:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-may-have-transported-live-parrots-over-the-andes-mountains-along-sophisticated-trade-routes-before-the-rise-of-the-inca-empire-180988377/Scientists Make a Major Breakthrough in Solving a Hair-Raising Mystery About Static Electricityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-make-a-major-breakthrough-in-solving-a-hair-raising-mystery-about-static-electricity-180988382/The findings can help explain the physics behind phenomena like volcanic lightningFri, 20 Mar 2026 15:29:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-make-a-major-breakthrough-in-solving-a-hair-raising-mystery-about-static-electricity-180988382/European Hedgehogs' Hearing Might Be Attuned to Ultrasonic Sounds. The Discovery Could Help Scientists Save the Declining Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/european-hedgehogs-hearing-might-be-attuned-to-ultrasonic-sounds-the-discovery-could-help-scientists-save-the-declining-species-180988383/Sound-based deterrents could help keep the animals away from fast-moving cars and dangerous landscaping equipmentFri, 20 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/european-hedgehogs-hearing-might-be-attuned-to-ultrasonic-sounds-the-discovery-could-help-scientists-save-the-declining-species-180988383/At the Colosseum, New Marble Slabs Mark Where Towering Columns Stood Thousands of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-the-colosseum-new-marble-slabs-mark-where-towering-columns-stood-thousands-of-years-ago-180988378/Crowds once mingled below two tall arcades supported by 164-foot-tall columns. But due to earthquakes and unstable foundations, these architectural elements collapsed long agoFri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-the-colosseum-new-marble-slabs-mark-where-towering-columns-stood-thousands-of-years-ago-180988378/England’s ‘Constable Country’ Is Honoring the 250th Birthday of Its Namesake, Landscape Artist John Constable, With a Year of Exhibitionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/englands-constable-country-is-honoring-the-250th-birthday-of-its-namesake-landscape-artist-john-constable-with-a-year-of-exhibitions-180988381/Constable was born in the Suffolk village of East Bergholt on June 11, 1776. With “Constable 250,” nearby Ipswich honors the pastoral painter’s connections to his homeland, community, country and contemporary artThu, 19 Mar 2026 19:44:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/englands-constable-country-is-honoring-the-250th-birthday-of-its-namesake-landscape-artist-john-constable-with-a-year-of-exhibitions-180988381/A Groundskeeper Noticed a Sinkhole on a Golf Course. It Turned Out to Be a Wine Cellar Full of Empty Bottles, Untouched for More Than 100 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-groundskeeper-noticed-a-sinkhole-on-a-golf-course-it-turned-out-to-be-a-wine-cellar-full-of-empty-bottles-untouched-for-more-than-100-years-180988379/The cellar is located near the 13th hole of a course at the Davyhulme Park Golf Club in England. Staffers think it was previously part of a manor that was torn down in 1888Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:04:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-groundskeeper-noticed-a-sinkhole-on-a-golf-course-it-turned-out-to-be-a-wine-cellar-full-of-empty-bottles-untouched-for-more-than-100-years-180988379/An Experimental Brain Implant Allows People With Paralysis to Type Their Thoughts With Their Mindshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-experimental-brain-implant-allows-people-with-paralysis-to-type-their-thoughts-with-their-minds-180988365/One of the two participants wrote words up to a speed similar to an able-bodied person texting on a smartphoneThu, 19 Mar 2026 18:47:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-experimental-brain-implant-allows-people-with-paralysis-to-type-their-thoughts-with-their-minds-180988365/David Hockney Used an iPad to Create This Sprawling 295-Foot-Long Frieze Inspired by the 11th-Century Bayeux Tapestryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/david-hockney-used-an-ipad-to-create-this-sprawling-295-foot-long-frieze-inspired-by-the-11th-century-bayeux-tapestry-180988371/The artwork, which depicts the changing seasons in Normandy, is the centerpiece of "A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting," a new exhibition in LondonThu, 19 Mar 2026 16:02:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/david-hockney-used-an-ipad-to-create-this-sprawling-295-foot-long-frieze-inspired-by-the-11th-century-bayeux-tapestry-180988371/Rodents Don't Gnaw Just to Trim Their Teeth—It Also Feels Good, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rodents-dont-gnaw-just-to-trim-their-teeth-it-also-feels-good-according-to-a-new-study-180988372/The findings could help humans who grind their teeth or clench their jawsThu, 19 Mar 2026 15:35:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rodents-dont-gnaw-just-to-trim-their-teeth-it-also-feels-good-according-to-a-new-study-180988372/A Meteor Streaked Across the Morning Sky as a Dazzling 'Fireball' Before Exploding With a Thunderous Boom Above Ohiohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-meteor-streaked-across-the-morning-sky-as-a-dazzling-fireball-before-exploding-with-a-thunderous-boom-above-ohio-180988375/A six-foot-wide, seven-ton asteroid caused the rare celestial spectacleThu, 19 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-meteor-streaked-across-the-morning-sky-as-a-dazzling-fireball-before-exploding-with-a-thunderous-boom-above-ohio-180988375/This Diver Stumbled Upon a Centuries-Old Sword Beneath the Mediterranean Sea. Years Later, He Found Another One Nearbyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-diver-stumbled-upon-a-centuries-old-sword-beneath-the-mediterranean-sea-years-later-he-found-another-one-nearby-180988370/Shlomi Katzin, who unearthed a 900-year-old sword in 2021, recently discovered a similar artifact jutting out of the seabed off the coast of IsraelThu, 19 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-diver-stumbled-upon-a-centuries-old-sword-beneath-the-mediterranean-sea-years-later-he-found-another-one-nearby-180988370/Cannibalistic Blue Crabs Are Eating Their Younger Peers in Part of the Chesapeake Bayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cannibalistic-blue-crabs-are-eating-their-younger-peers-in-part-of-the-chesapeake-bay-180988373/The findings by Smithsonian researchers could help experts better manage this crustacean's population. The creatures play important roles in the local ecosystem and food industryWed, 18 Mar 2026 19:56:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cannibalistic-blue-crabs-are-eating-their-younger-peers-in-part-of-the-chesapeake-bay-180988373/The Brilliant Blue Paint Covering This Lavish Room in Ancient Pompeii May Have Cost More Than Half the Annual Salary of a Roman Foot Soldierhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-brilliant-blue-paint-covering-this-lavish-room-in-ancient-pompeii-may-have-cost-more-than-half-the-annual-salary-of-a-roman-foot-soldier-180988374/Researchers have estimated how much the home's owners may have paid to paint the small sacrarium, calculating the price of the Egyptian blue pigment and the hours of labor required to prepare itWed, 18 Mar 2026 19:38:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-brilliant-blue-paint-covering-this-lavish-room-in-ancient-pompeii-may-have-cost-more-than-half-the-annual-salary-of-a-roman-foot-soldier-180988374/Frank Lloyd Wright's Vision for the Martin House Included Everything Inside It. See How Experts Recovered Furniture, Artworks and Decorative Glasshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/frank-lloyd-wrights-vision-for-the-martin-house-included-everything-inside-it-see-how-experts-recovered-furniture-artworks-and-decorative-glass-180988358/A new exhibition at the home in Buffalo spotlights curators' decades-long efforts to track down the original furnishings and other items, some of which the architect had designed himselfWed, 18 Mar 2026 17:51:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/frank-lloyd-wrights-vision-for-the-martin-house-included-everything-inside-it-see-how-experts-recovered-furniture-artworks-and-decorative-glass-180988358/Some Antibiotic Drugs Can Alter Your Gut Microbiome for Up to Eight Years, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-antibiotic-drugs-can-alter-your-gut-microbiome-for-up-to-eight-years-new-reserach-suggests-180988351/Just a single course of treatment can leave a lasting impression, according to a study of nearly 15,000 people in SwedenWed, 18 Mar 2026 16:13:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-antibiotic-drugs-can-alter-your-gut-microbiome-for-up-to-eight-years-new-reserach-suggests-180988351/Bull Sharks Are Large, Aggressive Predators—but They Also Know How to Make 'Friends,' New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bull-sharks-are-large-aggressive-predators-but-they-also-know-how-to-make-friends-new-research-suggests-180988368/The animals probably socialize to learn new skills and to find food and matesWed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bull-sharks-are-large-aggressive-predators-but-they-also-know-how-to-make-friends-new-research-suggests-180988368/This Iconic Pink Floyd Instrument Just Became the Most Expensive Guitar Ever Sold at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-iconic-pink-floyd-instrument-just-became-the-most-expensive-guitar-ever-sold-at-auction-180988364/David Gilmour's 1969 Fender Stratocaster, used on "The Dark Side of the Moon" and other famous albums, sold for a record $14.55 millionWed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-iconic-pink-floyd-instrument-just-became-the-most-expensive-guitar-ever-sold-at-auction-180988364/These Mesmerizing Cave Paintings Were Discovered in 1901. Now, Archaeologists Finally Know When Some of Them Were Createdhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-mesmerizing-cave-paintings-were-discovered-in-1901-now-archaeologists-finally-know-when-some-of-them-were-created-180988355/Researchers had long assumed the art inside Font-de-Gaume in France was made with pigments that couldn't be analyzed using radiocarbon dating. Then they discovered traces of charcoalTue, 17 Mar 2026 19:35:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-mesmerizing-cave-paintings-were-discovered-in-1901-now-archaeologists-finally-know-when-some-of-them-were-created-180988355/Life's Genetic Code Requires Five Key Ingredients. The Asteroid Ryugu Has All of Them, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lifes-genetic-code-requires-five-key-ingredients-the-asteroid-ryugu-has-all-of-them-a-new-study-suggests-180988367/The findings further hint that space rocks may have brought the building blocks of RNA and DNA to Earth long agoTue, 17 Mar 2026 19:18:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lifes-genetic-code-requires-five-key-ingredients-the-asteroid-ryugu-has-all-of-them-a-new-study-suggests-180988367/Archaeologists Just Uncovered a Shipwreck That Ran Aground on a Remote Island During the War of 1812https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-just-uncovered-a-shipwreck-that-ran-aground-on-a-remote-island-during-the-war-of-1812-180988346/The vessel appears to be the "Swift," a wooden sailing ship that sank off Sable Island in CanadaTue, 17 Mar 2026 17:11:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-just-uncovered-a-shipwreck-that-ran-aground-on-a-remote-island-during-the-war-of-1812-180988346/This Genetic Mutation Helps Yaks Survive at High Elevations. It Could Lead to Treatments for Nerve Damage in Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-genetic-mutation-helps-yaks-survive-at-high-eelavtions-it-could-lead-to-treatments-for-nerve-damage-in-humans-180988356/Animals that dwell at high altitudes have adapted to cope with low oxygen levels, a condition that damages a vital part of nerve cellsTue, 17 Mar 2026 15:36:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-genetic-mutation-helps-yaks-survive-at-high-eelavtions-it-could-lead-to-treatments-for-nerve-damage-in-humans-180988356/Some Mice Are Doting Dads, While Others Ignore or Attack Their Offspring. Researchers Just Figured Out Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-mice-are-doting-dads-while-others-ignore-or-attack-their-offspring-researchers-just-figured-out-why-180988360/In African striped mice, the activity of one gene can dramatically change a male's parenting style, according to a new studyTue, 17 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-mice-are-doting-dads-while-others-ignore-or-attack-their-offspring-researchers-just-figured-out-why-180988360/Historians Say They've Discovered a Long-Lost Page From the Archimedes Palimpsest, a Treasure Trove of Rare Ancient Mathematical Treatiseshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-say-theyve-discovered-a-long-lost-page-from-the-archimedes-palimpsest-a-treasure-trove-of-rare-ancient-mathematical-treatises-180988357/Three leaves had been missing for more than a century. Researchers found one of them when they decided on a whim to check the archives of a French museumTue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-say-theyve-discovered-a-long-lost-page-from-the-archimedes-palimpsest-a-treasure-trove-of-rare-ancient-mathematical-treatises-180988357/These Space-Faring Mice Are Helping Scientists Figure Out How to Keep Astronauts' Muscles Working Properlyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-space-faring-mice-are-helping-scientists-figure-out-how-to-keep-astronauts-muscles-working-properly-180988359/A new study suggests a gravity threshold for maintaining muscle functionMon, 16 Mar 2026 20:25:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-space-faring-mice-are-helping-scientists-figure-out-how-to-keep-astronauts-muscles-working-properly-180988359/The Italian Government Just Paid Nearly $35 Million for a Rare Caravaggio Portrait—One of the Most Expensive Artworks It's Ever Acquiredhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-italian-government-just-paid-nearly-35-million-for-a-rare-Caravaggio-portrait-one-of-the-most-expensive-artworks-its-ever-acquired-180988344/"Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini" had been on display in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome as part of a loan. Now, it's part of the palace's permanent collectionMon, 16 Mar 2026 20:23:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-italian-government-just-paid-nearly-35-million-for-a-rare-Caravaggio-portrait-one-of-the-most-expensive-artworks-its-ever-acquired-180988344/Haunting Casts Preserving Pompeii Victims' Final Moments 2,000 Years Ago Go on Display in a Solemn New Exhibitionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/haunting-casts-preserving-pompeii-victims-final-moments-2000-years-ago-go-on-display-in-a-solemn-new-exhibition-180988350/Since 1863, archaeologists have made more than 100 plaster casts, which show how victims died after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. A new exhibition displays 22 of the best-preserved examplesMon, 16 Mar 2026 18:11:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/haunting-casts-preserving-pompeii-victims-final-moments-2000-years-ago-go-on-display-in-a-solemn-new-exhibition-180988350/King Penguins Seem to Be Benefiting From a Warming World. While That's Good News for Now, It Could Spell Trouble for the Futurehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/king-penguins-seem-to-be-benefiting-from-a-warming-world-while-thats-good-news-for-now-it-could-spell-trouble-for-the-future-180988352/The birds are breeding earlier, and more of their chicks are surviving. But researchers fear this success may not lastMon, 16 Mar 2026 14:13:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/king-penguins-seem-to-be-benefiting-from-a-warming-world-while-thats-good-news-for-now-it-could-spell-trouble-for-the-future-180988352/Typos Have Plagued Us for Centuries. Just Ask the Publishers Who Printed the Seventh Commandment as 'Thou Shalt Commit Adultery' in 1631https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/typos-have-plagued-us-for-centuries-just-ask-the-publishers-who-printed-the-seventh-commandment-as-thou-shalt-commit-adultery-in-1631-180988353/A new exhibition at Yale Library explores the history of typos across five centuries. Visitors will see corrections that were listed inside copies of works by James Joyce, Upton Sinclair and Nicolaus CopernicusMon, 16 Mar 2026 14:09:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/typos-have-plagued-us-for-centuries-just-ask-the-publishers-who-printed-the-seventh-commandment-as-thou-shalt-commit-adultery-in-1631-180988353/This 74-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Bone May Have Belonged to a Surprisingly Large Ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rexhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-74-million-year-old-dinosaur-bone-may-have-belonged-to-a-surprisingly-large-ancestor-of-tyrannosaurus-rex-180988354/The massive reptile may have weighed more than 4.5 tons and been 35 feet long—much bigger than its related peers at the timeMon, 16 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-74-million-year-old-dinosaur-bone-may-have-belonged-to-a-surprisingly-large-ancestor-of-tyrannosaurus-rex-180988354/Specialists Carefully Defuse a 550-Pound Bomb in Dresden—Eight Decades After It Fell During World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/specialists-carefully-defuse-a-550-pound-bomb-in-dresden-eight-decades-after-it-fell-during-world-war-ii-180988342/After the ordnance was discovered, 18,000 people were evacuated from the city. Experts worked for several hours to safely dispose of the deviceFri, 13 Mar 2026 21:23:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/specialists-carefully-defuse-a-550-pound-bomb-in-dresden-eight-decades-after-it-fell-during-world-war-ii-180988342/Why Are So Many People Claiming They've Discovered Long-Lost Michelangelos?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-so-many-people-claiming-theyve-discovered-long-lost-michelangelos-180988333/One researcher wrote a 600-page report attributing an obscure painting to the artist. Another argued that he'd sculpted a marble bust on display in a Roman churchFri, 13 Mar 2026 20:11:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-so-many-people-claiming-theyve-discovered-long-lost-michelangelos-180988333/How Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet? Researchers Examined Feline Spines to Find Outhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-cats-always-land-on-their-feet-researchers-examined-feline-spines-to-find-out-180988341/Scientists determined that the upper part of a cat's spine is more flexible than the lower partFri, 13 Mar 2026 19:56:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-cats-always-land-on-their-feet-researchers-examined-feline-spines-to-find-out-180988341/North American Bird Losses Are Accelerating. New Research Suggests Fertilizers and Pesticides May Be to Blamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/north-american-bird-losses-are-accelerating-and-new-research-suggests-fertilizier-pesticide-may-be-to-blame-180988345/Scientists found the severest changes in decline rates in places that include hallmarks of high-intensity agricultureFri, 13 Mar 2026 16:46:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/north-american-bird-losses-are-accelerating-and-new-research-suggests-fertilizier-pesticide-may-be-to-blame-180988345/Astronomers Witnessed the Birth of a Magnetar for the First Time. It Explains the Mysterious Flickering of an Ultrabright Supernovahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-witnessed-the-birth-of-a-magnetar-for-the-first-time-it-explains-the-mysterious-flickering-of-an-ultra-bright-supernova-180988343/New research suggests that the highly magnetized remnants of stars are responsible for powering some of the universe’s most brilliant supernova explosionsFri, 13 Mar 2026 16:09:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-witnessed-the-birth-of-a-magnetar-for-the-first-time-it-explains-the-mysterious-flickering-of-an-ultra-bright-supernova-180988343/Scientists Discover Microscopic Traces of Leaves, Seeds and Toxic Berries on Pots Used by Stone Age Cooks Thousands of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-microscopic-traces-of-leaves-seeds-and-toxic-berries-on-pots-used-by-stone-age-cooks-thousands-of-years-ago-180988325/Hunter-gatherers in Europe carefully selected ingredients and cooked complex foods, often pairing fish with specific plants, according to a new studyFri, 13 Mar 2026 15:35:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-microscopic-traces-of-leaves-seeds-and-toxic-berries-on-pots-used-by-stone-age-cooks-thousands-of-years-ago-180988325/Sea Levels Might Be Higher Than We Thought, Putting Millions of People in the Path of Coastal Flooding Sooner Than Expectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sea-levels-might-be-higher-than-we-thought-putting-millions-of-people-in-the-path-of-coastal-flooding-sooner-than-expected-180988332/A lot of past research has used flawed methodology to estimate current coastal water levels, according to a new studyFri, 13 Mar 2026 15:20:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sea-levels-might-be-higher-than-we-thought-putting-millions-of-people-in-the-path-of-coastal-flooding-sooner-than-expected-180988332/A Czech Man Used This Stone in His Barn's Foundations. It Turned Out to Be a Rare Bronze Age Spearhead Moldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-czech-man-used-this-stone-in-his-barns-foundations-it-turned-out-to-be-rare-bronze-age-spearhead-mold-180988339/The rectangular object dates to around 1350 B.C.E. and was likely created by members of the Central European Urnfield cultureThu, 12 Mar 2026 20:07:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-czech-man-used-this-stone-in-his-barns-foundations-it-turned-out-to-be-rare-bronze-age-spearhead-mold-180988339/The Egyptians Used an Ancient Version of Wite-Out to Correct Their Mistakes on This Papyrus Scroll 3,300 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-egyptians-used-an-ancient-version-of-wite-out-to-correct-their-mistakes-on-this-papyrus-scroll-3300-years-ago-180988331/An ancient artist applied a white substance to an illustration of a jackal, slimming down its appearance, according to researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum in EnglandThu, 12 Mar 2026 19:42:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-egyptians-used-an-ancient-version-of-wite-out-to-correct-their-mistakes-on-this-papyrus-scroll-3300-years-ago-180988331/Do These Severed Orca Fins Covered in Tooth Marks Mean Killer Whales Are Cannibals? It's Complicated, Scientists Sayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-these-severed-orca-fins-covered-in-tooth-marks-mean-killer-whales-are-cannibals-its-complicated-scientists-say-180988334/Researchers suggest that predation by a subspecies called Bigg's orcas might explain why members of another one, called resident orcas, stay in such large family groupsThu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-these-severed-orca-fins-covered-in-tooth-marks-mean-killer-whales-are-cannibals-its-complicated-scientists-say-180988334/Someone Used This Mysterious Coin as Bus Fare in the 1950s. It Turned Out to Be 2,000-Year-Old Currency Minted by the Phoenicianshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/someone-used-this-mysterious-coin-as-bus-fare-in-the-1950s-it-turned-out-to-be-2000-year-old-currency-minted-by-the-phoenicians-180988337/A public transit official working for the city of Leeds found the coin while counting bus and tram fares. Now, his grandson has donated it to Leeds Museums and GalleriesThu, 12 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/someone-used-this-mysterious-coin-as-bus-fare-in-the-1950s-it-turned-out-to-be-2000-year-old-currency-minted-by-the-phoenicians-180988337/A 1,300-Pound Spacecraft Might Be Plummeting Through Our Atmosphere Right Nowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-1300-pound-spacecraft-might-be-plummeting-through-our-atmosphere-right-now-180988335/The debris poses minimal risk of harming anyoneWed, 11 Mar 2026 19:45:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-1300-pound-spacecraft-might-be-plummeting-through-our-atmosphere-right-now-180988335/This Museum Is Using Pokémon to Teach Visitors About Fossils. Fans Are Waiting for Hours to Snag Ticketshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-museum-is-using-pokemon-to-teach-visitors-about-fossils-fans-are-waiting-for-hours-to-snag-tickets-180988329/"Pokémon Fossil Museum" in Chicago compares "fossil Pokémon" from the popular franchise to the real-world creatures they're based onWed, 11 Mar 2026 17:40:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-museum-is-using-pokemon-to-teach-visitors-about-fossils-fans-are-waiting-for-hours-to-snag-tickets-180988329/Taking a Daily Multivitamin Might Slow Some Signs of Biological Aging, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/taking-a-daily-multivitamin-might-slow-some-signs-of-biological-aging-a-new-study-suggests-180988326/Researchers don’t know how these modest changes at the cellular level relate to overall healthWed, 11 Mar 2026 15:25:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/taking-a-daily-multivitamin-might-slow-some-signs-of-biological-aging-a-new-study-suggests-180988326/See a 163-Year-Old Civil War Shipwreck in Stunning Detail With These New High-Resolution Sonar Imageshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-164-year-old-civil-war-shipwreck-in-stunning-detail-with-these-new-high-resolution-sonar-images-180988323/The USS "Monitor" was the U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship. The vessel, which sank off of North Carolina in 1862, revolutionized naval warfareWed, 11 Mar 2026 14:29:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-164-year-old-civil-war-shipwreck-in-stunning-detail-with-these-new-high-resolution-sonar-images-180988323/This Ancient Reptile Started Life on All Fours. As It Grew, It Stood Upright and Started Walking on Two Legs Insteadhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-reptile-started-life-on-all-fours-as-it-grew-it-stood-upright-and-started-walking-on-two-legs-instead-180988327/Scientists have identified a strange early crocodile relative that may have looked somewhat like a flightless birdWed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-reptile-started-life-on-all-fours-as-it-grew-it-stood-upright-and-started-walking-on-two-legs-instead-180988327/This Massive Mural Made From 100,000 Bottle Caps Is One Artist's Reinterpretation of 'The Mona Lisa'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-massive-mural-made-from-100000-bottle-caps-is-one-artists-reinterpretation-of-the-mona-list-180988324/Óscar Olivares, who is known for working with recycled materials, completed the 43-foot-tall artwork in Zacamil, El Salvador, in FebruaryTue, 10 Mar 2026 21:20:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-massive-mural-made-from-100000-bottle-caps-is-one-artists-reinterpretation-of-the-mona-list-180988324/How a Tiny Clump of Moss Helped the FBI Solve a Grave-Robbing Casehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-tiny-clump-of-moss-helped-the-fbi-solve-a-grave-robbing-case-180988328/Cemetery workers argued that the crimes happened before their employment. But a buried bit of moss told a different storyTue, 10 Mar 2026 20:05:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-tiny-clump-of-moss-helped-the-fbi-solve-a-grave-robbing-case-180988328/This Traveler From India Graffitied His Name on Five Ancient Tombs in Egypt's Valley of the Kings 2,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-traveler-from-india-graffitied-his-name-on-five-ancient-tombs-in-egypts-valley-of-the-kings-2000-years-ago-180988318/Researchers have discovered 30 inscriptions written in Indian languages, which provide new evidence that visitors from India spent time in Egypt between the first and third centuries C.E.Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:45:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-traveler-from-india-graffitied-his-name-on-five-ancient-tombs-in-egypts-valley-of-the-kings-2000-years-ago-180988318/See How Scientists Reconstructed the Face of Little Foot, a Human Ancestor Who Lived 3.67 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-scientists-reconstructed-the-face-of-little-foot-a-human-ancestor-who-lived-3-67-million-years-ago-180988299/For the first time, researchers have digitally reconstructed the facial fragments of the individual, who belonged to the Australopithecus genusTue, 10 Mar 2026 15:55:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-scientists-reconstructed-the-face-of-little-foot-a-human-ancestor-who-lived-3-67-million-years-ago-180988299/NASA's Asteroid-Smashing DART Mission Changed a Space Rock's Orbit Around the Sun, Marking a First for Humanityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-asteroid-smashing-dart-mission-changed-a-space-rocks-orbit-around-the-sun-marking-a-first-for-humanity-180988322/Studying the 2022 collision's effects can help scientists protect the Earth from celestial objects that might head toward usTue, 10 Mar 2026 15:19:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-asteroid-smashing-dart-mission-changed-a-space-rocks-orbit-around-the-sun-marking-a-first-for-humanity-180988322/Vibrant Wildflowers Are Blanketing Death Valley National Park, Resulting in the Most Breathtaking Bloom in a Decadehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vibrant-wildflowers-are-blanketing-death-valley-national-park-resulting-in-the-most-breathtaking-bloom-in-a-decade-180988321/Parts of the park are awash in wildflowers, from the cheery yellow blooms of desert gold to the bright purple clusters of sand verbena, along with many other speciesTue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vibrant-wildflowers-are-blanketing-death-valley-national-park-resulting-in-the-most-breathtaking-bloom-in-a-decade-180988321/Some People Keep Razor-Sharp Minds Into Their 80s and Beyond. A New Study Reveals Their Secretshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-people-keep-razor-sharp-minds-into-their-80s-and-beyond-a-new-study-reveals-their-secrets-180988310/"Super-agers" seem to produce more new nerve cells in a brain region important for memory than other people their ageMon, 09 Mar 2026 21:57:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-people-keep-razor-sharp-minds-into-their-80s-and-beyond-a-new-study-reveals-their-secrets-180988310/These Koalas Bounced Back From the Brink of Local Extinction Extremely Fast. Surprisingly, So Did Their Genetic Resiliencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-koalas-bounced-back-from-the-brink-of-local-extinction-extremely-fast-surprisingly-so-did-their-genetic-resilience-180988319/Conservationists saved the fuzzy creatures in Victoria, Australia. Now, the animals are showing remarkable signs of genetic recoveryMon, 09 Mar 2026 19:53:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-koalas-bounced-back-from-the-brink-of-local-extinction-extremely-fast-surprisingly-so-did-their-genetic-resilience-180988319/This Rare Silver Medal From the First Modern Olympic Games in 1896 Just Sold at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-silver-medal-from-the-first-modern-olympic-games-in-1896-just-sold-at-auction-180988307/At the time, athletes received silver medals for winning first place. The Olympics didn't introduce gold medals until 1904Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:24:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-silver-medal-from-the-first-modern-olympic-games-in-1896-just-sold-at-auction-180988307/These Intricately Decorated Ostrich Eggshells Suggest Our Ancestors May Have Understood Basic Geometry 60,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-intricately-decorated-ostrich-eggshells-suggest-our-ancestors-may-have-understood-basic-geometry-60000-years-ago-180988315/The lines, right angles and other mysterious designs required careful planning and robust cognitive abilities, according to a new studyMon, 09 Mar 2026 14:00:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-intricately-decorated-ostrich-eggshells-suggest-our-ancestors-may-have-understood-basic-geometry-60000-years-ago-180988315/Scientists Thought These Marsupials Went Extinct 6,000 Years Ago. They Just Found the Animals Alivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-thought-these-marsupials-went-extinct-6000-years-ago-they-just-found-the-animals-alive-180988312/The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider are rare examples of "Lazarus species"Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-thought-these-marsupials-went-extinct-6000-years-ago-they-just-found-the-animals-alive-180988312/